Waking Up
by bleachfanficfanatic
Summary: RenHime shippers this one is for you. Life moves on after the war and Renji and Orihime find themselves growing closer as a new threat from an old foe looms. Summary has changed as the story has evolved. This is heavily centered on a relationship between our favorite red-haired shinigami and beautiful healer. I hope it is enjoyed by fans of this pairing and maybe garners new fans.
1. Chapter 1 - Two Lives Reflected

Author's Note: So I was very inspired by all the Bleach fanfic I have been reading recently to try my hand at some of my own. I had this idea (actually two ideas) pop up in my head and couldn't get them out so I decided to write this story. It will most likely contain the two ideas I had but I don't want to go into it too much for fear of spoilers. However, I love these characters and just wanted to try my hand at something creative. I would like to give a note of thanks to authors **XtremeGal87, Rairakku Hana, Voice of the Shadow Realm, Nicole4211, T. Arth,** and **MistressBlaque** for their amazing works which were muses for my creation. This is still a work in progress but I wanted to get the first chapters up. Reviews are welcome, but please be kind/patient as this is my first time writing for these characters so there will be some moments which no doubt are OOC for them or I may have my understanding of events and timelines mixed up because I have not watched all of the series (yet) nor read the manga. Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.

Waking Up- Chapter 1 – "Two Lives Reflected"

For as long as she could remember Orihime Inoue had been in love with Ichigo Kurosaki. First it was a subtle fascination with his scowling face. She couldn't understand why he was always so serious but she found it endearing somehow. And from there as she continued to cultivate a friendship with him her admiration and devotion deepened to powerful love. They had been through so much together and she had seen even more of the qualities she admired about him come to light. Most prominent was his unending drive to protect those he cared about and she was grateful to be listed among them, particularly when he rescued her from Hueco Mundo. Part of her wished in vain that his actions had been driven by love for her, but she knew this simply was not the case for Ichigo. He would have taken the actions he did for anyone in his inner circle, hell, probably for anyone. That was just that way he was. Being a heroic protector was not just IN his nature, it WAS his nature and that fact drove her love for him all the more, even though she felt fairly strongly that he would never reciprocate her feelings.

Most days she could handle this situation. She would feel that familiar strain in her heart when she would look at him (he oblivious to her stares) while they sat in class and tried to tamp them down again. Now she was simply trying to pay attention to the mundane daily actions of listening to lectures, studying and passing tests all in the efforts to graduate from high school. However, ever since her experience in Hueco Mundo she just did not find this life as stimulating as it was before. Not that she EVER wanted to be in that position again, but the duplicity of their lives (hers, Ichigo, Chad, Uryu) was somehow bothering her more than it had ever done in the past. She couldn't put her finger on why. Sighing quietly she shook her head and forced herself to pull up out of her thoughts and actually pay attention to what was going on in front of her. Two more months and they would be graduating and she would need to figure out what she was going to do from here.

As the end of class bell rang she gathered up her items and started putting them in her bag. Her best friend Tatuksi came up to her and tapped her gently on the head. Orihime lifted her head and made eye contact with her. "Orihime, what's wrong, you looked really distracted during class there for a while, are you feeling ok?" Orihime smiled at her friend's concern. Of course Tatuski would notice her behavior. The small tom-boy had something akin to a sixth sense when it came to the red-head. Orihime smiled and surprised herself by saying, "I was just thinking about my life. How different it is since….well…" she trailed off. By now Tatuksi was very well aware of Orihime's second life; the war with Aizen in Karakura Town made it impossible NOT to know. After all that had come to an end Orihime had come clean with everything to her. She apologized for lying to her through tears after her return from Hueco Mundo. During her confession Tatuksi had simply sat stunned to silence (a rare occurrence for her) and held her friend after she finished. She had stroked her hair and told her she didn't have to apologize but all the same she would say she forgave her because that was what she knew her heart broken friend needed to hear. And Orihime had sighed greatly and hugged her tighter.

Back in the present moment Tatsuki leaned down to meet her eyes to Orihime and said, "What do you mean Orihime; you know you can tell me anything." The red-head smiled and said shakily "It's…it's just that I've been through SO MUCH, we all have, and sometimes I think I've never really taken the time to properly process it. I feel like I've been on auto-pilot just trying to make it through the rest of high school and today it hit me that I don't know how to continue to live two lives. One fairly normal and one so….so…." she trailed off again not sure what word she was looking for. "Strange?" Tatsuki proffered. Both girls paused and then started laughing at the same time. It seemed odd to be able to adequately describe the situation with one simple word.

"What's so funny?" The questioned popped out from someone standing behind Tatsuki and both girls stopped laughing to look at the newcomer. Ichigo was standing looking down at both of them and Orihime had to stop herself from gasping. Sometimes his presence was just overwhelming. It wasn't just that he was tall or handsome. He was powerful. He had been even before his shinigami powers had been released by Rukia during his first true encounter with a Hollow. But now because of her own powers having been awakened Orihime was very aware of his reiatsu, particularly because she was a healer. He was not good at suppressing it and she could sometimes almost be knocked over by it.

Tatsuki stood up and met Ichigo's eyes causing him to take a step back. Orihime smiled at the fact that the tiny woman between them could make such a strong force retreat, even if it was just a step. "Nothing of importance to you, don't worry about it," came the sharp retort. Orihime flinched at her friend's tone. While she appreciated Tatsuki's attempts to protect her it was most times at the cost of causing friction between her and Ichigo, someone who she had been friends with before she had met Orihime. Ichigo, however, had long since gotten used to this behavior from her and merely shrugged his shoulders. "OK, whatever you say." He looked over the tiny brunette to the bashful red-head and said, "I was just heading out and since I have some errands to run by your place I wanted to see if you'd like me to walk you home?"

Orihime could feel Tatsuki tense slightly (she could feel emotions more clearly now with her powers too) and quickly stood up before her friend could say anything. "Of course Kurosaki-kun, thank you!" she said brightly. She turned to her friend and gave her a quick hug saying quietly in her ear, "thank you", before grabbing her bag and following Ichigo out of the room. Tatsuki sighed heavily and hung her head. "If she doesn't either tell him her feelings or move on she is going to keep wrecking herself," she thought and included in her inner dialogue that she simply could not believe how stupid Ichigo was. Nor could she believe that someone, anyone, in the their circle of friends had not said something to him about Orihime's feeling for him. Then again, they all loved and respected her too much to embarrass her like that. They all knew, despite how frustrated and hurt they were for their dear friend, that she had to decide on her own when or if she was going to tell him. Shaking her head she grabbed her own belongings and started for home deciding that she would call Orihime later to check in on her.


	2. Chapter 2 - Closing the Distance?

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.

Waking Up – Chapter 2 – "Closing the Distance?"

As they left the classroom Ichigo lessened his stride length so Orihime could keep up with him. Sometimes he forgot just how different height they were and if he took full steps with his long legs she practically had to jog to keep up with him. He cast a side-eyed look at her as she fell into step beside him. She was looking forward, walking in comfortable silence with him. As they exited the school yard and headed in the direction of her neighborhood he wondered again how she was doing. It had only been a month since her rescue from Hueco Mundo but during that time they hadn't really talked much of it. He actually really wanted to make sure she was doing ok (as much as possible given her experiences there) but he just didn't know how to breach the subject. He was caught between feeling like he should respect her privacy and let her come to him if she wanted to talk and whether not offering his ear to her was seen as insensitive to her.

So because he didn't know what to do he kept doing nothing. Well, that wasn't technically true. He had never had a problem walking her home before but that had usually been coincidental. Lately, particularly since her rescue, he had been deliberate in his efforts to walk her home. For some reason he felt awkward outright just telling her he was worried and wanted to watch out for her. In the back of his mind he knew that he had become afraid to let her out of his sight. He never wanted her to go through anything like what she had been through in Hueco Mundo again if he could help it. "Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" Her soft voice sounded loud in the almost silent street and he felt himself jump slightly. He looked down at her concerned filled eyes and realized that during his musings he had unconsciously tightened his jaw and clenched his fists in his irritation of himself.

He offered a weak smile, one that for some reason he saved only for her, and said, "Yes Inoue, sorry, just lost in my own thoughts." She didn't press him to continue, just took the answer at face value. They continued in silence, although the comfort of it had left some. Soon they were rounding the corner of her street and arrived at the stairs of her apartment. They stood silent for a moment before she said, "Thank you again for walking me home Kurosaki-kun, I really appreciate it." "No problem Inoue," he replied. He knew he should make his goodbyes and leave her be but he continued to hesitate. Sensing his hesitation she asked, "Would you like to come up for some tea? We could start working on that history project?" He didn't respond right away so she stammered, "Unless… of course you're busy then…" He put a hand on her shoulder and felt her tense slightly but didn't remove it. She looked at his eyes and he said, "Tea sounds great, but no homework tonight, there's something I wanted to ask you about." Her breath hitched in her throat and she felt her face get red, both from the contact of his hand on her and the softness in his eyes. "What is going on?" she thought but pushed away her nervousness as best she could (which was not very) and not trusting her voice simply nodded her head. When she turned to head upstairs his hand slipped from her should back to his side.

She unlocked her door with slightly shaking fingers and walked inside. Forcing herself to breath normally she went to the kitchen to start making tea while Ichigo sat at the kitchen table and waited for her. She couldn't bring herself to look at him yet and so she put all of her attention to making the tea. When she finally turned around with two steaming cups in her hands she walked over to the table, never looking away from the cups in her hands for fear that she would spill the hot liquid on herself because of her trembling. She both knew and did not know why she was feeling this way. She knew because Ichigo always managed to make her feel somewhat nervous but unsure because she instinctively knew the conversation he wanted to have with her was not the one she had so often fantasized about.

Setting the tea cups down in front of her and proffering one to him she finally looked up into his eyes. He looked at her for a moment before saying, "Inoue, I hope I am not being…"he stalled trying to think of how he wanted to say this, "intrusive but I wanted to ask you how are you doing and was hoping you would tell me the truth." She gasped slightly at this very direct question. Ichigo very rarely spoke like this to anyone, least of all her. "What do you mean, tell you the truth?" she heard herself ask before she could think better of it. He had been raising the tea cup to his lips when the question stopped him mid motion. He put the cup back down and looked her squarely in the eyes before continuing. "Inoue, I know you went through so much more during your captivity than you have let on. It's just something I sense. Now, you don't have to talk to me if you don't want to but I strongly suggest you talk to someone before it eats you alive." Even though his tone was soft he knew he was being brusque and forward but somehow after everything they had been through together he felt that they should at least be able to talk to each other.

She didn't say anything for a beat, trying to get her thoughts in order. How could she possible explain to him what she went through, how she was feeling, why she felt it? Her eyes were downcast after he had spoken and the silence lingered on. He knew she was wrestling with herself and while his instinct was to try to ease the tension by saying a joke or something he simply knew this was not the time. He would endure the uncomfortable silence in order to give his friend time to formulate her thoughts. Finally she looked up and him and sighed heavily. "Well," she began but before she could go any further Ichico's substitute-shinigami spirit badge began bellowing loudly. "Damn it!" Ichigo swore through clenched teeth as he stood. "Inoue, I'm sorry but I need to go take care of this," he said as he stood from the table. She stood too and instantly the threat of danger to the residents of Karakura Town (spirit or otherwise) ironically helped ease the tension between them as their duties became the focus of attention. "Of course, I'll come with you in case anyone has been injured." He stopped moving and turned to her while saying, "No, I would prefer if you stayed here, I need to leave my body here while I'm gone." She frowned slightly at his resistance to her helping. Sure, she knew that he hated putting anyone in harm's way but they had been on the battle field together before this. Seeing her frustration he added, "Please Inoue, I will be better able to handle the situation if I know that someone I trusted as much as I do you is looking after me." She felt her heart almost stop. He had never been this candid with her, nor had he usually taken this much time to argue a point, particularly when there was a Hollow (maybe more) in the area. Not wanting to strain him anymore than he already was she simply nodded her head. "Thank you," he said before pushing the badge against himself and letting his physical body fall onto her couch while his shinigami form raced out the door and into the night. In the distance Orihime could hear the fearsome roar of what she could only imagine to be a huge Hollow and prayed protection over her orange-haired protector.


	3. Chapter 3 - Rock and a Hard Place

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.

Waking Up – Chapter 3 – "A Rock and a Hard Place"

After Ichigo left Orihime took both cups and poured the un-drunk contents down the sink before washing, drying and putting them away. She sighed and left the kitchen to grab her bag and sit next to the physical form of her friend on the couch while she started trying to work on her homework until he returned. She was having a hard time concentrating on the math in front of her as she re-lived the short exchange that had taken place between she and Ichigo just moments before his duties had called him away…again. She sighed again and leaned back closing her eyes, trying to sort out her thoughts and how she wanted to answer his question. More to the point, whether she wanted to answer it at all. She was touched by his concern for her but part of her was so frustrated that she knew his concern came from a place of friendship, nothing more. And her frustration with that fact made her feel guilty because she really she should be grateful that he cared at all. For the past month she had been wondering whether he did and suddenly here he was asking her about her captivity and how she was doing in her recovery. It dawned on her that his lack of inquiry prior to this moment did not come from a place of uncaring. He was trying to show her respect by not pushing her into talking about something painful. But his care for her well being had caused him to do something out of character for himself and ask her a question he knew would pain her to answer because in doing so it would cause her to have to think about it and in that way re-live it. And for Ichigo this was akin to him hurting her because he was the one asking her to do it. She sighed again as she realized his sense of protection and the well being of those around him went deeper than even she had imagined. He could be so thick and oblivious sometimes it was staggering but in this moment she concluded it wasn't always obliviousness that stilled his actions. It was deliberation of weighing the consequences.

She sat there lost in her own thoughts for a while when she felt Ichigo's spirit pressure coming towards her home. The next instance he was knocking at her door. She opened it and he came in with a trickle of blood coming down from his temple. She gasped and quickly put her hands out to grab his arm and guide him to a seat at her table. "Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" she asked with concern filling her voice. "Yeah, I just got careless and was caught off guard, hurts like hell though," he said through clenched teeth as he sat down at the kitchen table once again. "Here, let me help you," she said and called forth her Shun Shun Rikka to heal his wound. When she had finished he smile and said, "Thanks Inoue, I feel much better now." Rising he headed to the couch and rejoined himself to his physical body. He got up and stretched himself inhaling a deep breath before letting it go. He turned to face Orihime and then looked at the clock. " _When did it get this late, I don't feel like I was gone that long_ ," he thought to himself as he noticed it said 10:00 PM. He looked back at her and said, "I'm really sorry our conversation was interrupted and while I do want to continue it if you'd like I understand if you need to get to bed."

Following his gaze to the clock she too was surprised to see how late it had become. She smiled faintly and turned her eyes back to him, "I guess you're right, plus I'm sure you're exhausted after your battle. Thank you again for walking me home and…" her voice trailed but then she resumed, "for everything else. I appreciate your concern and agree that I do need to speak about it but for tonight we'll leave it be." They stood looking at each other for a moment more and Ichigo was surprised to feel his Hollow of all things begin to stir.

" **King! What the hell are you doing?!"** he shouted so loud it actually made Ichigo wince.

" _Not now!"_ He countered to the inner spirit before turning his attention back to Orihime who noticing his slightly movement widened her eyes in an unspoken question.

"Right," he said to her rubbing the back of his neck with his hand which was wont to do when he was feeling nervous or contemplative and ignoring the question in her eyes continued, "I'll be going then, I hope you are able to sleep well. See you tomorrow at school." With that he headed toward the door, opened it and turned once more to her. "Goodnight Inoue," he said and shut the door. Even though he had shut it softly the click of the dead latch sliding into place felt like the slamming of a prison door. She crumbled up on the floor and began crying heavily, completely overwhelmed.

Outside as he had made his way down the stairs Ichigo thought he felt a distress in Orihime's spirit pressure (which surprised him because he wasn't as in tune as many of the others in his circle of friends and comrades to feeling reiatsu). He headed back up the stairs, not sure what could have happened in the span of 30 seconds to make her feel like that. As he reached her door and was about to knock on it he could actually hear the cause of the distress. Her sobs were heart wrenching and though he longed to go in and comfort her he hesitated. What had happened? Did he do something wrong, say something wrong to cause that? Or was it merely the topic of their previous conversation coming to overwhelm her suddenly. Once again he was between a rock and a hard place because he didn't know what to do. He stood there a moment more listening to her cry before he noticed the sound was becoming more muffled. She must have been moving back towards her bedroom. Sighing Ichigo turned again and headed back down the stairs.

Again he could feel his Hollow emanating from within him but promptly ignored him, deciding that the recent battle with this latest Hollow had woken his own thirst for blood. He made it home with no further incident and flopped heavily on his bed, not even bothering to remove his clothing from the day before he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Hollow's Princess

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.

Waking Up – Chapter 4 – "The Hollow's Princess"

** **Ichigo's Hollow POV****

As Ichigo slept his Hollow continued to pass back and forth in his agitation. He was feeling pent up and more angry than usual. This last fight with a rather large hollow had definitely woke him up from his recent lethargy however he knew King could handle it, though he would never admit it to him. No, this was a different feeling which bothered him to no end because he was a HOLLOW! The only feelings he recognized were hate and the thirst to destroy, to conquer and over power. He should not FEEL for anyone. But he realized as he continued pacing, he speed increasing, that he did feel. He felt drawn to that healing woman and it bothered him to no end.

Normally throughout the day the Hollow would ignore most of what was going on around King. He was usually too bored to even give it a second thought. However, ever since the incidents at Hueno Mundo and King's (practical) death in his attempt to rescue the princess the Hollow had noticed a change in his disposition to the busty red-head. Because when she had leaned crying and screaming for King to not die, his Hollow had heard her and responded. At the time he attributed the willingness and ability to breakthrough to the outside as his own fervent desire to live. He wanted to live! But in the aftermath of the battle, when all was said and done and things were back to "normal" with King back in control he noticed his feelings of connection to the healer not diminished. And that disturbed him greatly. How could some thing like him have any sort of feelings for a creature like her?

He kept pacing and muttering to himself, pulling his hands through his white hair until he heard a voice from above him say, " _If you keep at that pace you're going to wear a path into the ground_ ". Flashing his yellow and black eyes up at the unwelcomed newcomer he scowled at Zangetsu. " **What the hell do you want old man**?" the Hollow barked viciously. Unfazed by his hostility Ichigo's Zanpakuto spirit merely looked at the Hollow in front of him and said, " _As we are forced to inhabit near each other I wanted to see what caused this great unbalance. What is wrong?"_ The Hollow stared at the spirit for a while before realizing that it was unusual for him to be here on his own. Normally if he saw the old man it was when King had decided to connect with him through his Zanpakuto and he himself would only be there too because he resided in King. This time however, it was the old man who had pushed into King's subconscious because he had felt the waves of turmoil coming from him due to the Hollow's erratic feelings. This realization stunned him silent, which for him was a completely new sensation and very unwelcomed.

The silence continued while the two entities stared at each other until finally the Hollow replied, " **How the hell can King be so stupid?!** " Zangetsu raised his eyebrows slightly and then frowned again before replying, " _While I agree that Ichigo can be…unaware of certain things...I would not describe him as stupid. To what in particular are you accusing him of stupidity for?_ " The Hollow sighed and ran his hands through his hair again in agitation. " _ **What the hell am I doing having this conversation at all, let alone with this smug bastard?**_ **"** he thought to himself. He looked up again and said, " **You know what, never mind, if you also can't pick up on it then it's pointless to speak about."** With that the Hollow turned and walked away into the distance of the seemingly never ending landscape of King's mind. Zangetsu sighed and retreated back to the sanctuary of Ichigo's sword, wondering how this new development was going to affect his master.


	5. Chapter 5 - Soulless Society

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 5 – "Soulless Society"

Renji grunted as he woke up with a throbbing headache. "Ugh, I knew that last bottle of sake was a mistake," he muttered to himself as he slowly sat up on his futon. The night before was hazy at best and he couldn't remember why he had drank so much in the first place. Then all of sudden the memory slapped him and he fell back with a groan. Dizziness enveloped him immediately and it took all of his power to not roll over and throw up right there on the floor. Both from the memory and from his already lopsided head's decent to his pillow. The reason he had drank so much was because of her. The one person who over and over again he allowed to get under his skin despite how desperately he tried not to. The one person who in all of Soul Society could affect him so greatly: Rukia Kuchiki.

He shuttered at the memory and felt this time he really was going to be sick so he ran to the bathroom to empty the contents of his stomach. Leaning back after the throngs of nausea decreased he slowly stood up and brushed his teeth before walking back to his kitchen and getting some water. He drank it quickly and then rested his hands on the counter trying to get his breathing back to normal. "Just what the hell was she thinking?!" he spat to no one but himself as he slammed his fist on to the counter. If he had not still been slightly off kilter it would have smashed with his full power behind it.

The incident re-played in his mind and he closed his eyes to try to get himself under control before his reiatsu flamed and destroyed part or all of his home. They had all been invited to a party at Shunsui Kyoraku and were enjoying some much needed leisure time. The battle with Aizen had been fierce and they were all still recovering in every sense of the word. Once some semblance of peace had returned Shunsui decided this small celebration was in order. So Renji had gone along looking forward to time with his friends and comrades that did not involve the spilling of blood. The night had been going easily and well, everyone having a great time and laughing a lot. No one had realized how much tension had really built up during that intense time of fighting. While they knew it would not be the last time they faced strong adversity they were determined to enjoy the sweet taste of victory, however momentary it may be. Renji had been listening to a story told by Rangiku Matsumoto when he noticed Rukia out of the corner of his eye. Then, of course, he was usually aware of where she was. The tiny violet eyed shinigami had held the heart and attention of her red-haired friend since they were children.

She looked a little tipsy and from the amount of sake he had seen her consume he wasn't surprised. He smirked to himself as he continued to try to listen to the woman speaking in front of him, but he eyes kept wandering over to the tiny brunette. It was then he noticed something that made the hair on his neck stand on end. She was talking to a subordinate shinigami he did not recognize. It was not surprising that she would be talking with someone, less that he would remember every shinigami who were around these days, but it was the way she was talking to him that made his breath hitch in his throat and his blood run cold. The longer he watched them the more he was sure his suspicions were correct. She was flirting. The cold, resolved and distant Ruika was leaning in closely to whisper something to this man and then giggling like a school girl at his response. Renji simply couldn't believe what he was witnessing. At this point he had not been looking at Rangiku long enough for her to notice that something had grabbed his attention. She was about to give him a faux retort of scolding but when she followed his eyes and saw what he did she too gasped. She did so just audibly enough that Renji heard her and knew that not only had she seen what he was seeing but he had been caught staring at the whole exchange! He felt her eyes return to his face and her hand slowly touched his shoulder causing him to shutter violently because of the tension he'd pent up in his body. So not to cause a scene she carefully pulled his arm and guided him outside. All the while he couldn't let his eyes off of Rukia until she was beyond his line of sight and he was in the garden. Rangiku then released him and turned to face him. He was heaving, trying to get his breathing under control and she was looking at him with…not pity…but understanding.

The busty shinigami could come off as ditzy and oblivious when she wanted to but she was neither of these in truth. And she could see her friend was hurting more than he wanted to admit to anyone, particularly himself. The silence wore on until he found his voice and the strength to lift his eyes to meet hers. He heaved his shoulders heavily in a deep sigh and said, "Thank you Rangiku." It was simple and no explanation was needed. She knew he needed his space so she didn't say anything, merely offered a small smile and as she walked past him squeezed his shoulder as she continued her path back into the house. He didn't turn around but started walking back to his house. In his fridge he found more bottles of sake which he consumed on top of whatever else he had already drank at the party and then when he was too drunk to stand had slammed onto his futon and fell into a fitful sleep.

So now here he was the next morning feeling like crap both because of her actions and his. Part of him deep down knew that none of this was Rukia's fault. Not really. He had never, not once, told her explicitly how he felt about her. His own clumsiness with words was enough to stop that but it was deeper than that. She was a noble, adopted yes but a noble all the same, and because of that she was by all intents and purposes beyond his reach. So even if she had returned his affections she would not be able to act on them. At least that was what he had thought before last night. And then he saw her openly flirting with a subordinate. It felt like a slap in the face of everything he had done for her, every action he had taken to SHOW her his love and devotion but she was not receptive to his way of speaking. And so now he was left feeling miserable and more alone than any time in his life. He wondered faintly at the back of his mind if the sake she had drank had made her inhibitions lessen, maybe she didn't even realize that was she was doing was flirting because it was simply not something she ever did.

The longer he remonstrated on this the more frustrated and angry he became. Finally he sat down on the ground and made himself mediate to calm down even if just enough to be able to get on with the rest of his day. That done he got up, bathed, and changed into his Shihakushō to head out for his days duties. Although he hated throwing up (both because it was disgusting and a sign of weakness in his mind) he was glad he had because it seemed to help clear out his drunkenness faster than normal. He stopped just long enough to eat a quick breakfast, drink more water and headed out of his home towards his office. "Today is going to be a long day," he thought with a sigh.


	6. Chapter 6 - Somebody That I Used To Know

Waking Up Chapter 6 – "Somebody That I Used To Know"

As Renji was just about to reach the door of his office he heard voices inside. They were those of Captain Byakuka Kuchiki, to whom he was lieutenant, and his sister Rukia. Renji paused not sure if he should enter because the tone of his captain's fearsome but quiet voice was one of reproach. Renji wondered if this was the result of Rukia's behavior last night having come to the ears of her ultra conservative and prejudice brother. Normally Renji would have just barged right in (it was the main office door after all) to save Rukia from the lecture being prolonged. However, he was feeling what could only be described as childish. He knew it and it made him rage at himself but he found himself unwilling to rescue Rukia yet again. Besides, this could be about something completely different and he was not going to incur the wrath of his captain for interrupting them.

So Renji stepped back and around the corner to wait until her heard Rukia leave. He could tell that Byakuka was more upset that usual because though the words were muffled Renji could hear the inflections of his tone. Rukia was mainly silent, either nodding her head, making small quiet responses that he couldn't hear or simply standing in silence while her brother carried on. Finally, when about 5 minutes had passed since he had stepped away from the door, he heard it slide open. Casting his head just around the corner he saw Rukia come out. She hadn't seen him nor sensed his presence (he was shielding his reiatsu) and turned to shut the door. Once it was closed she heaved a heavy sigh and put her head in her hands. She wasn't exactly crying but Renji could tell it was taking a lot of effort for her not to. A small part of him cried out to go over and comfort her but it would not be welcomed. She would merely make an excuse and push him away like she did so many times before. Standing there as he watched her he reflected just how many times she had snubbed him or even just flat out ignored him. He had really thought that after his efforts to rescue her alongside Ichigo she would have dropped some of the cold disposition she held against him. And she had at first, but as the months went on and the missions grew bigger, longer and more trying the distance between them had widened yet again.

Once she seemed to be in control of herself she turned in the opposite direction of where he was standing and started heading towards the training grounds. Letting out a breath he had not realized he was holding Renji waited until she was a good distance away before coming back around the corner and entering the office. Byakuya barely looked up upon his entrance, concentrating on whatever report was before him. "Good morning Taichou," said Renji evenly and was met with a small grunt in response. Renji was surprised that as he made his way past his captain's desk he could feel his reiatsu humming. Normally one of the most cold and controlled members of the Gotei 13 he never let his emotions show if he could help it. Today was different; today his irritation was rolling off of him in waves. Renji decided it would be wisest to get his paperwork done as soon as possible before heading out for the morning's errands so he sat down his desk and started working.

A couple hours later he had completed the reports left over from the previous day and began looking at the task list for the current day. He had many places he had to go to in the seireiti and took the time to map out the most efficient route. That done he rose from his desk and stood next to it before asking Byakuya, "Taichou, I am going to be heading out to complete these tasks, are there are more which you would like to add before I leave?"

His captain looked up to meet his eyes, thinking to himself, " _Renji must be aware of what happened at that foolish revelry last night, no wonder he's been so quiet."_

Normally his lieutenant had no hesitations in complaining about what he considered mundane and asinine tasks but this morning he had been practically silent save for the sound of his pen and the rustle of paper as he went over his reports. Byakuya was silent, considering if he wanted to ask the question that was in his mind. Then shaking his head he said, "No, you may proceed with what you already have," before going back to his own reports. Renji bowed slightly and took his leave, wondering momentarily what that flicker had been in his captain's eyes before he had responded. He was of the opinion that what Byakuya had said was not what he had at the forefront of his mind, but he would of course never press it.

Making his way to his various stops he encountered a few friends along the way and chatted idly with them if they were headed the same direction. He was feeling less pent up than this morning and wondered why. Suddenly it dawned on his that he was feeling better because he knew Rukia had gotten reprimanded for what happened at the party. Despite his not wanting to jump to that conclusion that was the only one which made sense, especially given his captain's spirit pressure fluctuations. This thought shocked him. Normally he was grieved for ANY pain, discomfort, or negativity to touch Rukia. However, today he felt different and it disturbed him in a way because while he knew he still loved her he marveled at how he could be glad of any pain for her.

Still thinking of these things and not really watching where he was going as he stepped around another corner he felt himself bump into someone. Looking down he saw that it was Rukia. Thankfully he had not been walking fast enough to outright knock her over but she definitely stumbled backwards. As she looked up to meet his gaze he saw fury in her eyes. However, a moment later it vanished when she recognized who it was she was looking at. This was very out of character for her. Usually she did one of two things when dealing with Renji. Either she would glare at him in silence or would explode, it just depended on what he'd done. It seemed there were a lot of things that were different today because now when she saw him her eyes softened and she threw herself against him in a hug.

Renji let out a sound of surprise as her tiny arms tried to wrap around his waist. He, however, did not put his hands on her, did not hug back, just stood there for a moment looking down at her waiting for her to release him. When almost a minute passed and she had not released her grasp he slowly took his hands and placed them on her arms. Just as she was going to relax into the hug he gently but strongly removed her arms before letting them go and she hitched in her breath looking up at him, her arms now at her sides. Her eyes were moist but no tears had fallen yet. He stared into her eyes, both wanting to pull her back into himself and tell her off. He was not sure why an incident that really was so very small could cause this rift in his heart grow for her.

Although only about 2 minutes had gone by it felt like hours and they still had not said anything to each other. Renji was thankful this exchange had happened in a small alley away from most of the people milling about the seireiti. He could only imagine what would happen if Byakuya had heard about this second indiscretion. Then, in a move that surprised himself to no end, he broke his gaze from hers and walked past her to continue his duties. He never looked back because he was certain he would not have been strong enough to keep going.


	7. Chapter 7 - The First Cut Is the Deepest

Author's Note: So thank you to everyone so far who has given this story a chance and to the few of you who have reviewed, I appreciate it. I realize a more suited category for this at the moment would be Angst but I figured Hurt/Comfort are two of the properties most related to it and I promise the Romance will arrive. I had no intention of this being a slow burn but apparently that's how my mind works. Also, I realize the chapters may be a little short and feel like prologues but it's just how the story is flowing in my mind. Alright, enough with the explanations and nervousness, let's keep going with the story! Forgot to add my disclaimer to the last chapter (not that anyone doubts this is purely fiction) but here it is: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.

A little key in case it's needed:

 _Italic font is for flash back/memory scenes/inner thoughts_

Waking Up – Chapter 7 – "The First Cut Is the Deepest"

As Renji walked away from her Rukia stood in complete dumbfounded silence. He had never, EVER treated her like this before and it shook her to her core. Struggling to maintain her composure she forced her legs to walk in the opposite direction of the tattooed man when all she wanted to do was run after him and deck him for making her feel like this. That was usually Rukia's response to this feeling, particularly with Renji. When she felt weak or vulnerable she immediately felt her hands clench to fists and had to control herself from wailing on whatever was causing it.

She continued walking with her eyes staring ahead of her but she was not seeing anything. She was blinded by hurt and pain and she hated feeling like this. The morning had been bad enough with nii-sama lecturing her about what happened at Shunsui's the night before. She could not believe it when she was summoned to his office of all places to have him berate her for her behavior. When she tried to defend herself (which she felt was unnecessary because she had done nothing wrong) he had silenced her with his hand and one of the most piercing glares he'd ever given her. She had retreated one step and fell into silence at that look.

" _Rukia," her brother had began, "I cannot truly express how disappointed I am in you."_

 _She had winced when he said that and after a pause he continued, going on and on about the honor of the Kuchiki and how her behavior at the gathering had embarrassed that name. She could only stand in silence at his calm but hurtful tirade. Finally when he'd had his full say he had dismissed her._

Now as she walked back to the training grounds from her errand for Captain Ukitake she reflected on the night before and her eyes tightened in frustration as she drew in a deep breath to keep her tears from flowing. She had really been enjoying her conversation with the young man (who's name she embarrassingly could not remember at the moment) and was just glad to have the company of someone who expected nothing from her. She did not suspect him of having insinuated anything further had happened. Her brother's reputation would have stilled that alone but she felt instinctively that he was a gentleman and had simply enjoyed a conversation with a higher ranked comrade. She had no idea, truly, that her actions had been seen as flirting until the summons to her brother and that awful lecture.

By now she had reached the training grounds and was walking up to her captain who was busy instructing one of their newer recruits. He looked up as she approached and frowned at her countenance. He had always felt a strong connection to Rukia. While Byakuya was cold and distant, electing to refrain from allowing Rukia to excel in her training and move towards a seated rank, Ukitake gently nudged her from time to time out of her comfort zone in order to stretch her capabilities.

He really felt she had so much more potential than she allowed show because since she was a part of the Kuchiki noble household she was expected to maintain a certain amount of decorum. However, Ukitake sensed a strength and passion deep in the girl that she forced down over and over again trying to emulate her brother's disposition. It rarely worked for long as she would have bouts of explosive temper, particularly with Renji or the orange haired ryoka.

Smiling to himself at these memories he said as Rukia reached him, "Ah, I see you were successful in your errand, thank you Rukia."

As Rukia handed him the bag she carried she did not meet his eyes, which normally she would have done.

This caused him to frown again but before he could say anything further she responded with a simple bow, "You're welcome taichou," before moving over to another recruit to help them with their kido.

Judging it best to not push her, especially in front of others, he let her be and went back to his duties but not before deciding that he would try to get her to talk to him. If she didn't deal with whatever was bothering her it would impede her training and possibly cause danger to herself or others were she to be distracted in battle.

Later in the evening, after she'd had dinner and was sitting on her bed at home, Rukia reflected on the day again. Because of her work helping the recruits she had been able to release most of the tension she'd been feeling in the morning so she was better able to analyze the situation now.

She was still surprised and hurt by Renji's behavior to her that day. Normally by now she would have heard from him in some way but he had been strangely absent. She hadn't even seen him when she went back to her brother's office per his instruction before they headed back to the Kuchiki manor.

" _Maybe he's on a mission_ ," she thought but then quickly dismissed that idea. Ever since Aizen's defeat there had been a decrease in the need to send someone of Renji's rank on a mission. And if one existed that did require him she would have most likely heard of it from him because he was boastful. She laughed to herself as memory recalled his first time being sent to the world of the living. He had been so proud and laughed heartily as he told her about it. Then as she continued with the memory her smile turned to a frown as something came to her notice, something she realized she had pushed to the far recesses of her mind.

During his long winded explanation prior to departure she had barely acknowledged he was speaking. They had been standing in the field near her home and she was looking at him with that same resigned face of annoyance she usually gave him when he was telling her something. Even though she was so proud of him she hadn't let herself truly feel it let alone say it to him. After he'd finished talking she had been silent before making some off handed comment about her hoping he didn't mess up the mission. True to his nature he had brushed off the jab and smirked before saying he'd see her later and leaving.

As she relived this exchange she remembered feeling so much like chasing after him and hugging him, telling him how proud she was of him. But her duties to the Kuchiki house had forbade her from doing so.

Sighing, she stood and went into the bathroom to wash her face, realizing how much she missed her best friend but having no idea how or if she should tell him. She looked up at herself in the mirror and for the first time in a long while was completely honest with herself. She knew, beyond any shadow of doubt, that she was a terrible person. In her efforts to conform to the expectations of her new "family" she had completely turned her back on her old one. Renji was the last person left in her life from her days on the streets. After he had encouraged her to become adopted by the Kuchiki nobles he had busted his ass to make himself good enough to become her brother's lieutenant and in that way kept some semblance of closeness to her. He had sacrificed so much for her and all she had done was glowered and practically spit in his face the whole time.

She didn't recognize herself anymore, didn't know who it was that was staring back at her in the mirror. Suddenly she punched her reflected image and the glass shattered. Even though it cut her hand and arm she did not remove it from where the blow had landed. She just stood there, panting with her head down as her blood trickled down her arm and onto the counter. The sound had not gone unnoticed in the house and soon one of the servants was banging on her outer door asking if she was alright.

"I'm fine!" She retorted with no intention of letting them come in. After a beat they extended a shaky apology for disturbing her and made their retreat.

Rukia continued to stand there a while, letting her blood flow. She was beyond comprehension of what to do because while she desperately wanted to attempt to repair her relationship with Renji she knew she could not do so without incurring more of her brother's wrath. For, while she could not fathom that Byakuya had elected him as his lieutenant without feeling some sort of respect for the man, she knew he would be completely opposed to a friendship between them. Because despite the fact that Renji was highly ranked, he was of a low class and to her brother and the rest of the Kuchiki clan class was all that mattered.

Finally she roused herself and bandaged her wounds before cleaning up the blood herself and throwing away the towels. She dressed in her sleeping yukata and lay down on her bed. Her arm was stinging now but she didn't care. Sighing heavily she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, emotionally and physically drained from the day.


	8. Chapter 8 - Flying

Author's note: I have to say a heartfelt thanks to **Casey525** for your kind reviews of all chapters, they definitely had me smiling from ear to ear and I appreciate the encouragement. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and it boosts my confidence to keep going. **Sakom Raiya,** I know right? Looking forward to seeing how this all fleshes out. I have a direct end in mind but even I'm curious to see how I'll get there, lol! So in this next chapter we're having a bit of a time jump to get the ball rolling again and get past all the angst! Well, maybe not all but it will be less. ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 8 – "Flying"

It was early evening and Chad, Orihime, Ichigo and Uryu were headed towards Urahara's due to a summons.

"What the hell could hat and clogs want?" asked Ichigo irritably as they walked.

"Who knows, his message was cryptic as always," murmured Uryu.

They kept walking in silence and eventually reached the strange man's shop and knocked on the door.

When there was no reply Ichigo shouted, "Oi! Urahara! Open up!" Still the door remained shut.

They paused, looking at each other and wondering what to do. They had all received the same message; it was doubtful they all misunderstood it or that it was a mistake.

"What should we do?" Orihime asked looking up at Chad's face. The big man simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Ugh, let's just go inside, maybe the old fool drank too much sake and is passed out," Ichigo said as he pulled on the door to slide it open.

Stepping inside they were met with absolute silence. It was eerie because usually there was SOME type of activity going on around the shop. Standing close together they paused again to get their bearings since the shop was nearly pitch black, the only light being the street lights that streamed in behind them.

Then the foursome noticed the faint outline of light in the form of a square. The lights were on in the underground training room.

"Perhaps he is downstairs, shall we go?" Uryu asked. They all nodded in agreement.

Chad stepped forward and pulled at the handle of the trap door and it swung open easily under the influence of his strength. He looked up and said, "I'll go first, just in case," before putting one foot onto the ladder.

After him came Uryu and then Ichigo, but as Orihime stepped up to follow him he paused and said, "Inoue, why don't you wait here a moment until we make sure it's all safe? There's something weird going on here."

She looked at his face and finding it set in determination she sighed and nodded. She really had no desire to argue the point despite her feelings of annoyance. " _Must he always think I am so weak and incapable of handling myself?"_ she thought but didn't say anything.

He gave her a small smile before following the other two.

Presently she heard him say, "Hey, Inoue, it's ok, come on down!"

She stepped onto the ladder and began her decent, still slightly annoyed with Ichigo and trying to hide it.

" _I really should talk to him about this, I understand why he is the way he is but he makes me feel like a burden more than a friend sometimes!"_ she thought as she continued her journey into the depths of the underground.

Presently she made it to the ground and turned around only to almost fall over from surprise.

Standing not far from the ladder were Ichigo, Chad and Uryu and all three were grinning. It was certainly a site to see as the three of them were not usually that open with their expressions, at least not the positive ones. Slowly they moved apart to reveal what they had been blocking from her view and she gasped with her hands flying to her mouth.

Behind them stood in a group Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, Ururu and Tatsuki who, while still surprised at how she found them, was not as surprised to see. It was Rukia, Renji, and Rangiku standing behind them which had garnered her reaction. They were all smiling at her reaction, even Renji.

"SURPRISE! CONGRATULATIONS!" they all yelled in unison to her.

"Wha….what is all this?" Orihime stammered as she made her way towards the group.

Ichigo was the one to answer her with his trademark smirk, "Well, we all decided we wanted to surprise you with a party to celebrate graduation."

"But, you three graduated too! Shouldn't this be for all of us?!" she asked in disbelief.

Uryu cleared his throat, "it would have been except that we three caught wind of it. So instead of it being completed wasted on us we wanted to make sure it was still special for you."

"You're special to us Inoue," rumbled Chad as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

Orihime felt overwhelmed with gratitude and a little guilty for feeling so frustrated with Ichigo earlier. They had fooled her completely and she was so happy they thought her worth the effort to surprise.

The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking and catching up with everyone who they had not really seen since the battle with Aizen ended three months prior. It already felt like a life time ago and they individually marveled at how life really could mostly pick up where it left off. Here were the four heroic fighters barely of adult age having completed their high school years despite all that had been thrown at them. They had grown stronger in every way and the make shift family surrounding them made sure they all knew how proud of them they were.

As the night wore on Orihime caught herself yawning more and more frequently. It had been a long day and while she wanted to continue talking and enjoying the company of her friends, particularly those who had traveled over from Soul Society, she was simply having a hard time staying awake.

"Oi," Ichigo said to her as he nudged her with his elbow slightly from where he sat beside her, "you look like you're ready to fall over, let me walk you home so you can get some sleep."

She nodded and began to stand but being both tired and clumsy tripped over her feet and began to fall.

Ichigo had moved before anyone blinked and caught her, helping to steady her back to her feet. Although, if she were honest, his close proximity to her body was doing anything but helping her be steady on her feet. It amazed her anew at how him touching her, even if only to help save her from her own blunders, could make her heart race.

"When I said it looked like you were ready to fall over I didn't mean to do it literally," he said with a chuckle still holding onto her slightly.

She looked up and offered a smile while saying, "Thanks, I guess I am really tired."

Releasing her Ichigo took a step back and she moved forward towards the rest of the group to say thank you for the wonderful surprise and also say her goodbyes.

Ichigo, too, said goodbye to their friends before beginning to follow Orihime up the ladder to leave the underground. They reached the top without incident and began walking home. Orihime's eye were feeling really heavy and she was continuing to yawn.

Ichigo was walking beside her and looked at her half closed eyes thinking to himself, " _At this rate it will take twice as long to get her home safe and that's presuming she doesn't run into or trip over anything!"_ He didn't really mind the time so much as the amount of peril the red-headed healer could encounter even on a simple walk.

"Inoue," he said and she looked at him with half-lidded eyes, "I know this may sound odd but would you like me to carry you home? I can flash step the whole way so we get there fast and you can go to bed."

This offer woke Orihime up right away and her eyes widened suddenly as she thought of herself either held in his arms or clinging to his back as he flew through the night. And then she smiled.

They had stopped walking by this point and Ichigo, while surprised at the sudden change in her disposition, was glad to see her smile. He waited for her answer.

Realizing what she wanted to say to him caused her to blush but she had resolved to herself after the night of him asking her about Hueco Mundo that she would try to be more honest with him, even if she wasn't ready to confess her feelings for him just yet.

"Kurosaki-kun," she said slowly, working up her courage, "I would love that, although not for the reason you just gave." 

He raised his eyebrows slightly in a silent question of what she meant.

She inhaled and continued, "I just realized that the only times I have experienced flash step with you was when there was danger and you were rescuing me from it. I would like very much to know what it feels like to fly when I'm not scared for my life."

He would be lying if he said he wasn't shocked at her reply. Also, he found, surprisingly pleased and he laughed slightly.

She was worried she said something wrong and her brow furrowed quickly only to smooth to a smile again when he said, "I'd like that too."

He crouched down slightly so that she could more easily climb onto his back and once she was safely secured with her arms around his shoulders and his arms holding her legs to his torso he flash stepped up to the roof tops and across Karakura Town.

Orihime could not believe how this felt and wondered how Ichigo managed to walk normally anywhere. This was amazing! The feeling of the wind in her hair and the thrill of the speed as he made his way toward her home were indescribable. She felt completely safe and elated that she had been bold enough to make her request.

They reached her home in a very short period of time and were soon standing in front of her door.

Laughing gleefully after they landed she slid down off Ichigo's back and when he turned to face her she hugged him in her excitement.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun, although after that I am not very tired!" she said, her joy bubbling over.

He chuckled slightly at her reaction and hugged her back before she pulled back and looked him in his eyes.

Although just moments before she had literally been wrapped around him it was while looking in each other's eyes that they became awkward.

Both pulled apart from each other at almost the same moment and stammered something that neither heard clearly.

Ichigo smiled again (he was beginning to wonder at her power to make him smile so much) and said, "I'm glad you had fun Inoue and I hope you will be able to sleep well. I better get home; my dad is probably up waiting to kick me in the head for being so late."

She nodded and bowed her thanks again before going in to her apartment. Ichigo waited until her heard her deadbolt slide in place before flash stepping home.

As she went to her room that night Orihime smile to herself at the irony that Ichigo had just literally made her heart fly. Then she sighed as she continued to get ready for bed and asked herself, " _What am I going to do? Pretty soon summer is going to come and go and then we'll all be going our separate ways. Should I tell him how I feel?"_ But as always she remained conflicted and knew that tonight would not be the night she made her final decision.

Laying down on her futon she smiled again and fell asleep to dreams of flying with her shinigami dream man.

Author's note: All right! A chapter with only a little angst and mostly happy! Hope everyone is continuing to enjoy this story, thanks again for those reading and reviewing. On to the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9 - Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 9 – "Changes"

Back at Urahara's shop the party had pretty much broken up after Ichigo and Orihime's departure. Chad and Uryu extended their sincere thanks to their friends for helping them surprise Orihime before taking their own leave.

As the two men climbed the ladder Rangiku drew in a long breath and said, "I can't believe how much they've all grown up." Her remark was met by silent nods of agreement from the rest of the group. It was staggering to think of what each of them had faced and overcome in the last couple of years. Rangiku then turned to look at Yoruichi and said, "I wanted to thank you for how you have been helping Orihime. I wish I could be here for her more but getting leave to come is not easy. I'm glad to know she has someone she can talk to and learn from."

Yoruichi smiled at the compliment and inclined her head in a slight nod, "You're welcome, I'm glad to know it's helping."

Rukia was slightly confused at this exchange and raised her eyebrows as she looked at the two women in front of her before asking, "What about Orihime, is she ok?"

The two turned to her and then looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

"Well, come on then, what's going on?" Rukia asked her patience already worn thin from the awkwardness of being around Renji. They still hadn't spoken about what happened between the two of them and it was putting additional strain on their interactions with each other.

Rangiku sighed and answered, "Rukia, after the events of Hueco Mundo Orihime was struggling with many different issues. About two months ago Ichigo actually asked her pointedly how she was doing and advised her to speak to someone, even if it wasn't him."

She let this sink in and Rukia's nodded for her to continue.

"After that," the purple-haired flash goddess picked up the story, "she came to me here and asked if we could speak. It didn't take long for her to breakdown completely and tell me everything that had happened, none of which I will repeat out of respect for her privacy."

Rukia expected that of course, but she felt there was something more that was being left out so after a moment she said, "Yes, and what else?"

Yoruichi sighed and replied, "After we had dealt with her emotional scars, which is still a work in progress, she asked me to help her train offensively. She wants to get stronger so that in case something like that ever happens again she can defend herself and not put her friends in harm's way again."

Rukia gasped, fully understanding the weight of this new situation. Orihime, who normally only trained in defensive and healing arts had actually asked to be trained in offense. She was willing to learn to hurt others, something she struggled with. Even with their encounters of some of the most vile and evil beings in the world Orihime struggled with inflicting damage on them herself. It just wasn't in her nature. But now, because of her capture and the war with Aizen, she wanted to learn to fight, not only defend.

She shook her head in minor disbelief and was at a loss for what to say next.

Behind her she was surprised to her Renji voice the question that was on her lips but had not come out yet, "Does Ichigo know anything about this?"

Both women shook their heads but it was Urahara who answered for them, "Orihime was very explicit in her wishes for him not to know, at least not right now." He chuckled slightly with his eyes downcast as he continued, "We're all well aware of his desire to protect her and knowing that she is training would upset him greatly I think. So for the sake of his feelings she hides this from him, which we all know is incredibly hard for her."

They all stood in silence before Rukia looked up again at Rangiku and asked, "How did you end up hearing of this?"

"During my last trip here for a more intensive research mission I stayed with her and she told me about it."

"Oh, I see," the raven haired shinigami replied, not without some feeling of sadness.

She wished that she too could have been there for Orihime however because of the limits placed on travels between Soul Society and the world of the living it would have been impossible for her to offer an adequate amount of support. Also, at any time that she did come here in the last couple months they were always all together with the foursome and there would be no way Orihime would confide in her in that company.

There was a feeling of strain in the room; unfortunate since not that long ago they had all been enjoying themselves so much. But soon Renji piped up and said, "Well, I'm glad she's doing something about it instead of just staying locked up in her feelings. I always thought she was stronger than she let on so it's good for her to have an outlet."

They all turned to him in surprise. He had never said anything of that kind about ANY of the human warriors, let alone the soft hearted healer.

Seeing the surprise in their eyes he cocked an eyebrow and said rather roughly, "What?!"

That broke the tension for some reason and they all laughed. He scowled but made no further comments while thinking to himself, " _What is up with these guys? We didn't even drink all that much!"_ But presently he shrugged his shoulders and felt that laughter, even at his expense, was better than what had been present only moments before.

Not long after that the three shinigami said their goodbyes to the staff of the shop and headed through the Soul Gate back home.


	10. Chapter 10 - Warrior Princess

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 10 – "Warrior Princess"

It had been a week since the surprise graduation party when Orihime was once again in the underground of Urahara's shop, only this time she was there to continue her battle training with Yoruichi. She was breathing heavily but noticed that she had increased her stamina again as she had been doing throughout their months of training.

"Koten Zanshun!" she shouted and Tsubaki flew through the air towards the target, making connection and blowing it apart.

Orihime did not have time to revel in her success however because the flash step goddess was closing in upon her quickly.

"Santen Kesshun!" was the next command and Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon quickly shielded the healer from Yoruichi's strike.

The next instant she heard a cry of pain and looked over to see Ururu on the ground clenching her knee.

Without a moment's hesitation Orihime cried out, "Soten Kishun!" sending Shuno and Ayame to aid the fallen girl with her "injuries".

A moment later it was all over with Yoruichi grinning from ear to ear and clapping. "Good, good Orihime," she said with a light chuckle of pleasure. She was so proud of the progress the girl had made in a relatively short amount of time. Her determination was admirable.

Orihime stood up smiling brightly before bowing and saying, "Thank you sensei!"

"Do you think you're ready to try the next phase of your training?" asked Yoruichi, "or do you feel done for today?"

Orihime shook her head enthusiastically and exclaimed while jumping in the air, "No, I want to keep going, I feel great!"

Still chuckling at the girl's smiling face her sensei went over to the ladder and shouted up, "Oi, Jinta! Throw down two sparing swords!" The words had barely left her lips when two wooden sticks clattered to the ground. She laughed as she picked them up and said, "Well, you know they have confidence in you," as she handed one of the sticks to Orihime.

"Now," she continued, "the likelihood of you actually ever needing to fight with a sword is very low given the amount of adept swordsmen and archers you are usually surrounded by. However, I want to give you a well rounded education in the combative arts. You're doing very well with your powers but learning additional skills can only help you in further refining what you already have. Do you understand?"

Orihime nodded, excited to finally feel like she was being treated as an equal instead of a princess always to be rescued. Through working with Yoruichi she had learned so much, including that the reason she found herself in the role of damsel in distress was because her own thinking had created that persona for her. She was so used to being weak and helpless that it was her default position when it came to battles. Sure, she was helpful and could heal, both of which were great qualities, but when she needed to use Tsubaki he almost always ended up getting hurt because her resolve was not strong enough. She vowed to continue to strengthen herself and anything that could help that she was willing to do.

"Ok then, we are going to start with basic formation and footing slowly so you understand stances for attack and defense. Get ready to get sick of this because I want this so ingrained in you that it will be second nature for you should you ever need to use it."

Again she nodded and then as her sensei began moving she mimicked her movements as best she could.

Not surprisingly she was awkward at first as this was completely and utterly foreign to her movements were slow and stuttering. However, as she continued she felt her feet begin to move more steadily and her arms grew stronger, able to hold the positions she was mimicking with increasing ease.

After 30 minutes she was sweating profusely due to the amount of new muscles groups she was engaging just in these simple motions. Yoruichi stopped moving and grinned again as she said, "Ok Orihime, you've done enough for today, go home and rest and I'll see you next week."

"Hai!" responded Orihime as she bowed and returned the stick to her.

Climbing out of the underground was a bit harder due to her sore muscles but she was so elated with her training she didn't care. She felt stronger, more in control of not only her body but her mind and her emotions. " _Sensei was right,"_ she thought as she continued to climb, " _my concentration and control is getting better each time! I'm so happy!"_ As she neared the top she saw Tessai with his hand out in offering of assistance. As her arms were being to feel mushy she gladly accepted his hand and he pulled her the remaining 10 rungs with little effort.

"How was your training today Inoue?" he asked kindly.

"Very good! Sensei began training me in sword fighting. It was hard at first to understand how to get my body to do what my mind was telling it but I feel like I had a good grasp of it before too long," answered the red-head. She frowned slightly as the next thought came to her, "Although….I'm really nervous to actually start fighting with the sticks, I've never like getting hit."

Tessai grinned and put his hands on her shoulders so she would look into his eyes before saying, "Inoue, I have rarely met anyone who enjoyed getting hit, save for perhaps Captain Zaraki and he is mentally unstable. It is ok to be afraid of pain, it is what helps keep us safe is it not?"

She nodded as he continued, "Yoruichi will only push you as far as needed to help you get better. She won't over power you unreasonably so you must trust her so that you can absorb what she is teaching you. Otherwise, if you let fear cloud your mind you will not learn what you need to know and when you need it, it won't be there."

She smiled up at the gentle giant and said, "You're right, thank you Tsukabishi-kun!"

He laughed and said, "Feel free to call me Tessai," to which she replied, "then you can call me Orihime."

He smiled and before letting her leave offered some muscle relaxant to help her heal faster. Thanking him she held out some money but he simply raised his hand to her. "Kisuke insisted you have it as a reward for all of your hard work." She thanked him again and headed out of the shop, a large spring in her step despite her aching muscles.

Coming from around the corner Kisuke held his fan in front of his face as he commented to his friend, "She is doing so well, I'm glad." Tessai nodded in agreement and said, "It is great to see her confidence swelling, it was about time she recognized her worth."

The following weeks were much the same. Orihime would come every Friday evening and work with Yoruichi for hours. Most of the time it was she and not Orihime who would end the sessions as she did not want her pupil to overdo it. Each week Orihime increased in her skills and her confidence grew steadily with them. It was amazing watching the shy, unsure and sometimes silly girl transforming into a powerful woman warrior. All who were a part of her training marveled at how far she had come in so little time.

One day during a rest period Yoruichi commented to Orihime on her rapid progress saying she was surprised at how far she had come with just weekly sessions. Orihime had blushed slightly and said, "Well, sensei, the truth is I practice quite a bit at home."

Yoruichi's eyebrows went up slightly at this confession and she replied, "While I'm not displeased to know you are so dedicated to your training I must ask how you are not drawing unnecessary attention, either from humans at what must appear very unusual behavior or from hollows who could follow your reiatsu."

Orihime smile faintly before answering, "Oh, I didn't mean at my actual home that was stupid to say. I found an abandoned building way on the edge of town. It's pretty much condemned but hasn't been demolished yet. As for hollows, I think I'm far enough away from their food source that they don't really notice me. I don't use the Shun Shun Rikka much out there, just enough to keep my training fresh in my mind. I mostly go so I can keep training my sword skills without being interrupted."

"How often do you go out there?" was the next question.

Laughing slightly Orihime replied, "Almost every day after work. My routine is pretty much getting up, having breakfast, going to work, going to train, coming home to clean up before having dinner and then going to sleep. I don't really do much else."

This surprised Yoruichi as she had presumed Orihime would at least be with her friends from time to time, although she was sure this was harder now since they were technically adults and were expected to go into the world to "make something of themselves" as the humans so often put it. It made her a little sad too since she remembered parts of her conversations with the girl regarding her loneliness due to living by herself with no family other than the family she had created for herself with her friends

"And what of the boys? Surely they are still a part of your life?"

"Oh yes! Sado-kun, Ishida-Kun and Kurosaki-kun are still in my life, it's just harder for us to get together since school is over. Sado-kun has been making more and more trips to Mexico to help with the orphanage while Ishida-Kun's father pressed him into continuing his schooling and work for his degree in medicine. Kurosaki-kun is much the same and works with his father at the clinic from time to time so I'm wondering if he too will move towards some degree in medicine. When he is not doing that he is working odd jobs. I think it's hard for him to really know what to commit to because of his substitute-shinigami duties."

Yoruichi felt a pang of annoyance at this information regarding Ichigo. She couldn't believe a permanent Soul Reaper had still not been station in Karakura Town. Surely Soul Society knew that the boy had his own life to actually LIVE. He wasn't a spirit yet, he deserved to have a normal a life as he could before crossing over one day. Then, no doubt, he would be pursued to become an official Soul Reaper because he was such an outstanding asset. Most likely this was why he had not had his duties removed yet. He was just too good and Soul Society had simply gotten used to him handling Karakura Town.

"Did I say something wrong sensei?" Orihime asked as she watched the look of consternation creep over her teacher's face.

"Of course not Orihime and what have we discussed about this? You should not think that all negativity from people is due to something you did or sad. Be confident in your worth as something more than a burden remember?"

Orihime's eyes widened at the retort but she nodded her head, remembering all that they had discussed and how far she had come with her opinion of herself. Though, from time to time, the old doubts and fears would creep in and she'd feel she had taken five steps backwards.

Yoruichi continued, "I am just upset that Soul Society is continuing to shoulder the responsibility of guarding this town to Ichigo. As we all know he is a substitute shinigami, he should not be continually expected to perform hollow exterminations, that duty should be relegated to a Soul Reaper from Soul Society so that Ichigo can be free to actually live the life he has left."

Orihime had never even thought of this and she was sure Ichigo had not either. With his constant impulse to protect it would never occur to him that with the war over he really shouldn't be doing this all the time. No wonder he was still here! No wonder her wasn't getting a full time job or going to school or anything else. He felt a continued sense of duty to guard Karakura Town, to keep them all safe.

Looking at Yoruichi she asked, "Is there anything we can do? Or I guess that you can do since you can go back and forth to Soul Society? Maybe you could talk to the head captain? I know Ichigo won't do it, it won't even occur to him to try."

"You're right, I'll make a point to get an audience before Yamamoto and see how soon we can get a new Soul Reaper here to take over the full time guard duties. Now then, I think you've been here long enough, why don't you head on home to clean up, eat and rest? Do you want me to walk with you? I'm sure it's later than we think."

"No, thank you, I'll be fine, I'll see you next week sensei," replied Orihime as she stood up and made her way to the ladder.

Walking home Orihime went over the conversation with Yoruichi again and was wondering if she should talk to Ichigo about it when she heard a terrified scream. Looking up sharply she noticed two spirits running towards her, a young boy and a women, possibly mother and son.

"Keep running, honey, we have to keep running!" the woman screamed in anguish that burned a hole in Orihime's heart. She was so terrified and the boy was trying to run but he kept tripping over his spirit chain. Behind them she saw two hollows chasing down the pair, one slightly smaller than the other but both still incredibly large. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she began running towards the scene in front of her.

The spirits looked up and noticed that she was looking right at them.

"RUN!" they both screamed at her, horrified that she was coming towards the danger. Orihime ignored them and increased her pace, trying desperately to reach them before the hollows did.

"What's this? Another tasty snack? And she looks itching to be consumed," sneered the larger of the two hollows.

"You can have the two pipsqueaks, I'm taking the woman, she smells tasty," said the smaller.

"Like hell you'll have her, I'll destroy you first you punk-ass," came the retort. Normally this exchange would have chilled Orihime to the bone but she found herself strangely glad that her presence was causing them to argue, it was slowing down their pursuit of the two spirits allowing her to close the distance faster.

"Keep running!" she shouted to the spirits and when they reached her, collapsing from utter exhaustion she put herself between them and the hollows.

"You really are a fool you know that?" commented the large hollow, "just what do you think you're going to do other than delay the inevitable consumption of those spirits by being consumed yourself?"

Orihime made no reply but held her ground protecting the spirits who were simply too tired to keep running.

Suddenly the smaller hollow lashed out his tail towards them.

"Santen Kesshun!" shouted Orihime and instantly her three sacred links shield deflected the blow. She held it in place, the dome covering her and the spirits.

"What the hell?!" cried out the hollow as his attack bounced back towards him.

Just before she was about to release Tsubaki, Orihime felt a familiar and comforting reiatsu approaching. Smirking in a way she felt would make Ichigo proud she calmly said, "You guys are in trouble now."

The next instant Ichigo dropped between her and the hollows.

"Inoue, are you ok?!" He shouted behind him without turning so he could watch the enemies in front of him.

"Hai, Kurosaki-kun!" she replied but still kept her shield up just in case.

"Good, don't worry, I'll take care of these bastards," he growled and flash stepped forward to begin his attack.

However, since there were two of them, it was challenging to keep them both in front of him and he had to move faster and faster in order to avoid their combined attacks.

As she watched the battle Orihime was surprised that she could, if not exactly _follow_ Ichigo, she was much more aware of where he was going to appear during his flash steps movements than she ever had been in the past. She realized her training with Yoruichi was helping her with more than she knew. As she watched she gasped because she saw that the smaller hollow was going to get a clean shot in against Ichigo as he moved to dodge an attack from the larger hollow. They were fighting on both sides of him and he was running lower on reiatsu the longer the more he had to increase his speed to dodge both their attacks and counter with his own.

Before she even fully thought she heard herself yell, "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" and hurtled Tsubaki towards the tail inching closer to Ichigo's body. Tsubaki yelled as he soared into and through the offending appendage, cleaning slicing it off and causing the hollow to scream in pain.

Ichigo whipped his head around at the sound causing him to lose focus on the hollow in front of him. "Santen Kesshun, I reject,"Orihime yelled and the dome collapse from around her to zoom and block the hit of the larger hollow.

This caused him to whip his head back around again and he was stunned at Orihime's abilities in battle, he had never seen her like this before. Giving himself a shake he forced it out of his mind so he could properly attack and end this.

With a one yell and then another he was finally able to destroy both hollow's masks and they flitted away to nothing.

Landing on the nearest roof top he turned and stared at Orihime, still dumbstruck at what he had just witnessed. The sweet, carefree Inoue had just saved his ass, twice, and she did it flawlessly. Once his shock had somewhat worn off he made his way to her and the spirits still huddled together shaking. Upon his approach he saw a soft smile on her lips; no sign of fear, no injuries, just calming standing over two terrified lost souls. He had no words.

Orihime turned and crouched next to the spirits saying, "It's ok you're safe now. This is my friend who is a shinigami and he will help you reach the other side where you can finally rest in peace." Both spirits looked at her with tear stained faces and suddenly bellowed their thanks to her and Ichigo for saving them. The boy was still crying and his mother held him close. Ichigo stepped up to them and using the end of his Zanpakuto sent them to Soul Society.

Both he and Orihime stood up at the same time and looked at each other again, he still at a loss for words.

She smiled again and said, "Thank you Kurosaki-kun for showing up when you did, I doubt I could have held my shield indefinitely."

He nodded and then shook his head, realizing that words should be coming out of his mouth.

"You're welcome, but I should be thanking you, you really helped me out there. I had no idea you had that in you, Inoue."

She giggled and said, "That makes two of us."

He smiled at her response and then offered to walk her home.

"Thank you that way in case there are any more hollows I won't have to worry," she said as she fell into step with him.

" _I'm beginning to think it's the hollows that should worry about you,"_ thought Ichigo as he walked next to her.

They reached her home not long after that and he walked her up the stairs to her door.

"Thanks again Inoue, I must say you really surprised me tonight but I'm really glad you were there," Ichigo said.

She inhaled at this and smiled even brighter if it were possible. "You're welcome, Kurosaki-kun, thank you for walking me home. I'll see you around."

And with that she opened her door, gave him one last smile and waved goodbye before shutting the door.

" **Since when did the princess become a warrior, King?"** his hollow asked

As he walked down the stairs he realized for once his hollow and he agreed upon something and it was the mystery changes that had slowly come over Orihime. He decided to find out just how those changes occurred.

 **A/N: Wow this chapter ended up longer than I expected! Also, it was my first time writing a fight scene so hopefully it was alright. Thanks again to all who are reading. Reviews either of constructive criticism or words of encouragement/enjoyment are welcome, they really do help author's be inspired to continue working on stories. Thanks all!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Seek and Ye Shall Find

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 11 – "Seek and Ye Shall Find"

When Ichigo got home that night following the hollow fight he couldn't sleep because he kept thinking about Orihime and how far she had come in her fighting skills. He knew that hadn't come out of nowhere, she had to be training at least to some degree. And from the skill with which she yielded her Shun Shun Rikka he had to think she'd been training A LOT. But where would she be able to do that without attracting attention? He knew he was not good with sensing reiatsu but even he should have been able to tell something was up if she were practicing anywhere near home.

" _I know I've been busy with work (when it's available) and hollows and stuff with the girls but it really seems odd I didn't even_ _sense_ _this from Orihime,"_ though Ichigo as he continued dwelling on her.

" **Oi, King! If the princess is occupying so much of your mind maybe you should go and see her again,"** his Hollow encouraged, almost seeming as if were bouncing up and down, a very funny image to Ichigo actually, but he shook his head.

" _It's too late, she's probably already asleep, plus I don't want to look creepy going back again,"_ he answered the voice in his soul.

" **Who cares about creepy?! Let's go see the princess!"** his hollow insisted.

" _Will you shut up?! I'm not going back over there, I'll just talk to her tomorrow,"_ he retorted violently and then rolled over determined to shut out the problematic Hollow and get some much needed sleep. Although he thankfully did not have to wake up early the next day he was still tired and wanted some rest.

The next day Ichigo decided to drop by Orihime's to catch up with her. During his musings of the night he realized that he hadn't really talked that much with her one on one in the past couple months. Sure, they all four saw each other from time to time, either going out to dinner, movies or just hanging out to catch up but he was having a hard time recalling the last time he and Orihime had been together just the two of them. "I think it was that night when I asked her about Hueco Mundo," he said aloud as he walked towards her apartment. He climbed the stairs, knocked and waited. He waited another beat and then knocked again. " _Huh, she must not be home,"_ he thought, although where she could be on a Saturday he wasn't sure. From what he remembered she was working a Monday-Friday job now so she should have the weekend off. " _Of course, she might be running errands,"_ he thought as he turned and headed back down the stairs.

Standing on the sidewalk he was suddenly at a loss of what to do. He had come here really hoping to speak to her and was surprised at how disappointed he felt. Normally he would have just shrugged it off and tried another time but for some reason he was irked that he couldn't locate her. " _Maybe I'll try my hand at searching for her reiatsu, heck maybe even her reiraku. I hate to admit it but I don't really practice that enough,"_ he thought as he quieted his mind and reached out with his reiryoki to see if he could do it. It would be an interesting exercise if nothing else. He knew what she felt like, they'd been around each other and in battle enough together for him to have a clear picture of what he was looking for. As he focused he began to notice spirit ribbons appear around him slowly and put his finger out gently to feel them. He wasn't sure if hers would even be within his proximity so he walked down the street further, heading towards the markets in case that was where she went. He kept walking, keeping his arm and fingers out just enough so he could brush by the ribbons.

Suddenly he felt her; it was like a shock of cool water to his senses but warmed him at the same time. He focused his attention greater and noticed a ribbon that had a slight yellow tint to it. Carefully he touched it again and knew beyond doubt he'd found Orihime's spirit ribbon. His eyes went up and followed it as it whirled in the sky, almost dancing. He smirked, " _hers would look like sunshine and dancing,"_ he thought and then quickly wondered where that thought came from. Shaking his head again he flash stepped up to the roof of a building that her ribbon was floating near and follow it along the horizon until he saw it dip down again far on the outer reaches of Karakura Town. Frowning slightly he wondered what on earth she would be doing all the way out there. Just as he was debating if he should really follow her he noticed the ribbon begin to glow fiercely. It made him gasp and he stared at it for a moment more before using his shunpo skills to hurry him toward where she was. If her spirit ribbon was glowing it meant she was under some kind of pressure, although what he couldn't tell. He just felt he needed to get to her.

Moving faster and faster he finally found the end of the trail as it led him to an abandon building. He didn't hear anything at first but then suddenly Orihime's voice shouted, "Koten Zanshun, Santen Kesshun!" He lost all control of thought and tore into the building with every belief that he would find her in distress since she loosed her offense and defense simultaneously. When he rounded the corner he was amazed to find her apparently alone, the danger either already dissipated or non-existent. He just couldn't tell in his heated frame of mind.

She turned at his entrance and uttered a gasp of surprise, clutching her hands to her chest.

"Kurosaki-kun you startled me!" she said with exhaled breath and bent forward to catch it again.

"Sorry Inoue, I thought you were in trouble," he replied as he made his way to her.

She righted herself and smiled sweetly. "No, I'm fine, just a little spooked because I heard you run around the corner and thought it might be the aliens or ghosties looking for me," she said laughing.

He chuckled at her over active imagination and stopped walking a few feet away from her. It was silent between them before she asked, "Kurosaki-kun, not that I am not glad to see you, but what are you doing all the way out here?"

He blushed suddenly, realizing that he really had no excuse for being where he was. He couldn't say he had just been in the neighborhood (although earlier he had been) and was loath to admit to her that he'd followed her spirit ribbon. Judging by her surroundings she had come here for what he could only suppose would be the purpose of being alone and here he was barging in on her (creepy) sanctuary. He rubbed the back of his neck and all but mumbled, "Um, well….you see.. I" but couldn't think of a viable excuse to get him out of his embarrassment.

Orihime just stood watching him, her head cocked to one side and wondering what was wrong with him.

Finally, when it became clear he was not going to be let off the hook, Ichigo answered, "I, uh, I went to your apartment because I wanted to talk to you but when you weren't there I…well…I got sort of worried so…."he couldn't keep eye contact with her as the next phrase left his mouth, "I…um…followed your spirit ribbon here."

Orihime was shocked to say the least. Ichigo had never been particularly adept with anything to do with spirit pressure or ribbons, he mostly just HAD a lot of pressure, power etc to use. So for him to have done this was surprising, so much so that Orihime simply could not be mad at him, although following a spirit ribbon could be seen as a breach of privacy. She still hadn't responded and heard him say, "Look, I'm sorry Inoue, obviously you came here to be by yourself, although why you would pick a creepy place like this is beyond me. I didn't mean to intrude."

She shook herself out of her shock and replied, "Uh..no no..it's fine, I was just surprised is all." She didn't go further and the silence returned for a moment.

Breaking it Ichigo asked "So, what ARE you doing out here?"

She sighed and thought, " _Well, he had to find out eventually and my little performance last night I am sure stirred his curiosity._ " She squared her shoulders, not entirely sure why she felt she had to brace herself before replying, "I was training."

He raised one eyebrow slightly (and she hated how cute he looked when he did that) but didn't say anything. It was obvious he'd figured out there was a lot more to that sentence and so he waited for her to continue.

"And," she did continue, "I've been training at in the underground with Yoruichi-sensai for the past couple of months. She's training me in the offensive arts."

Now she knew why she'd braced herself as he exclaimed, "WHAT?! Why? Did something happen, were you in trouble? Why didn't you come to me?!"

He wasn't exactly angry but the vehemence of his reaction did startle her and Orihime surprised herself by not backing down from him as she would have done in the past. " _I guess it's not just my physical training coming in handy right now,"_ she thought as she looked at the man in front of her.

She knew she shouldn't be angry at him, not really, after all she knew it was his nature to always be the protector, to save anyone from being inconvenienced or hurt that he could. He bore so much on his shoulders she was amazed he didn't crumple. But she realized she was angry and couldn't hold back her response.

"Did something happen? Are you really asking me that question?" shot out of her mouth before she had time to realize her voice or her tone, both of which looked as if they had physically struck him he jerked back to hard. "Kurosaki-kun, where do I begin?!"

He just stood looking at her dumbfounded as she continued, "What happened was months ago I was kidnapped! I was taken away from my friends, my family, and tortured body and soul. I was labeled a traitor, I watched you die and then come back as a Hollow and almost kill everyone! All because I was too weak to protect myself! I put those I hold most dear in peril because I was so damn weak!" Her voice echoed off the concrete walls and sounded bigger than it ever had in her whole life. She was shaking and trying to reign in her emotions but they were raging. It was like the flood gates had opened again and she couldn't stem the tide.

"I had been wallowing in self hate and doubt for so long, most of my life in fact, and most of it was my fault, I know because I constantly put myself down as much as others did until I believed I wasn't worth the air I breath! It amplified because of what happened with Hueco Mundo, with Aizen, with all of that!"

He still hadn't responded, couldn't respond, so utterly transfixed on the woman in front of him. He was seeing an entirely different Orihime Inoue from the one he'd known for so long.

"So," she continued finally able to make her voice lower, if not exactly calmer, "I made a decision after you asked me about Hueco Mundo all those months ago that I would try to find help. More so, that I would help myself…"she trailed off, tears fighting their way to her eyes. She desperately didn't want to cry, not in front of him, not saying the things she was but she couldn't stop. "I…"she inhaled a ragged breath as her tears starting flowing, "I went to Yoruichi-sensai and asked if we could talk. I just didn't feel I could talk to you boys. You're all so wonderful and caring and kind to me but I just didn't feel you could handle what I needed to share. So I went to her and told her everything. She held me while I cried myself to sleep more times than I can count. She was there to be my comfort and I am so grateful. Then, once I was done crying, I asked her to train me so that I would never again be in a position where I could not defend myself and put my loved ones in danger if I could help it."

She stopped, unable to continue or hold herself up and she started falling down, her knees nearing the hard ground beneath her. Her decent was what got Ichigo to move and he quickly caught her in his arms and held her to himself tightly, his eyes starting to sting with tears of his own. He knew, didn't he? He knew that she was so much more broken by what had happened and yet he'd kept his distance. She probably hated him, probably thought he was the worst friend in the entire world, which of course, he thought too. He continued to hold her as sob after sob wracked her body and she shook against his strong form with her arms bent and resting against his chest. He knew there was nothing he could say so he just held her until she sobs diminished and her breathing came easier. When it seemed as though the worst of the tempest had past he slowly pulled her away so he could look in her eyes. They were red and swollen from the violence of her grief and tore at his heart. He brushed some hair from her face and softly said, "Inoue, I am so, so sorry." He knew he should elaborate, there must be more to say that than but for the life of him he had no more words. His apology brought more tears from her and she finally hugged him back, clinging to him tightly as she cried again, softer this time but still crying.

After this second flow of tears she pushed back from him slightly in order to inhale a long, deep breath and looked him in the eyes again. "I'm so sorry, you didn't.." she began but he put a finger on her lips stilling her voice and causing her eyes to widen.

"Inoue, you owe me no apology, you owe me nothing. I owe you everything because you're the one who brought me back from the dead and from the brink of destruction. And how did I repay you? By being an insensitive ass. Can you ever forgive me for being such a terrible friend?"

She inhaled sharply at his apology, the warmth in his eyes overwhelming her and she shuttered.

"Yes, of course, Kurosaki-kun," she answered in barely above a whisper.

They stood there a moment longer looking at each other before he took another step back so she could really get some air.

"Now, I think it would be a good idea to get you home for some food, tea and rest, what do you think?" he asked smiling slightly but sadly.

She nodded and without another word he gathered her up in his arms and flash stepped all the way back to her home.

Upon arrival she opened the door and he followed her in. "Sit, I will make you food and tea, you need to rest," he said walking towards the kitchen. For once, she was too tired to argue with him, although she hated putting people out of their way for her sake.

She collapsed on the couch and was almost asleep by the time Ichigo even started making her a small meal. When he came out to give it to her he saw she was lying on the couch completely asleep. He looked down at her with sadness in his eyes and debated waking her to eat. Deciding against it he bent down, picked her up and carried her to her room. She stirred only slightly but remained fully asleep.

He bent down and flung back the covers on her futon before gently laying her down and then covering her up. She would just have to sleep in her clothes but he figured she wouldn't care. He looked at her finally resting peacefully and was surprised at his hesitance to leave her side. Deciding it was just pent up emotions from her outburst he went into the living room and flung his back onto the couch. " _Maybe I'll just stay a little while to make sure she's really ok,"_ he thought but before long his own eyes had closed and he was fast asleep.


	12. Chapter 12 - Words We Waste With Silence

Waking Up - Chapter 12 – "The Words We Waste With Silence"

Renji was feeling more pent up that usual and it was showing in his kido combat practice. He simply could not hit the target and the more he missed the more frustrated he got which made his aim even worse. He went on this cycle for a while until his complete lack of concentration resulted in his getting the kick back of his life and he went flying across the training grounds.

"UGH!" he exclaimed as he landed hard against the wall behind him and slumped down, the wind literally knocked out of him. Up until that moment he had been alone on the grounds, it was fairly early to be training, but the explosion and his exclamation brought Rangiku running around the corner. She had been on her way to her office when she heard the commotion. Seeing Renji on the ground and the smoke still rising from his chest she ran forward with an exclamation of surprised alarm.

"Renji, are you ok?" she asked as she reached him and put a hand out to check his injury. He smacked it away with a grunt.

She shook her head and said, "Damn it you stubborn man, let me look at you, you could have internal bleeding from a shot like that, what the hell were you thinking?"

He looked up at her with angry eyes, but put his hand down so she could look at his injuries. Gently she loosened his top layer and pushed it aside, then went in to feel his chest. She pushed ever so slightly and he winced, clenching his teeth as she continued her examination.

"I think you broke a rib," she said when she felt another spot that had him actually utter a small cry of pain, "we need to get you to Fourth so they can patch you up."

Renji growled his reply, "I'm fine, and I'm not going to the damn Fourth over something like this."

"Renji Abarai don't think for one moment I won't subdue and carry you myself, probably causing more damages and then getting myself in trouble. You are injured, it happens even in practice, we have Fourth for a reason!" she countered, her face set in a fierce scowl to match his own. Then her eyes softened and she said, "Please, my friend, let me help you with this…."she trailed off before inhaling her breath and continuing, "And more if you need it."

His eyes shot up to meet hers and in that moment he knew she knew everything more clearly than probably even he did. The last few months had been torturous with him and Rukia barely able to be in the same room as tense and at odds as they were. Rangkigu softly asked, "Are you really still so upset with her over such a small thing?" He heaved a sigh and shook his head. In his heart he knew that the idiotic flirting incident was not the cause for his current state of mind but he would be remiss to not admit it had cracked the shell he had created over his heart where Rukia was concerned. He just didn't want to deal with it right now so he kept pushing back at the flow of anger and hurt he was feeling. However, it manifested everywhere else because, truth be told, he wore his heart on his sleeve as much as he tried to protect it at the same time.

They continued to look at each other while all these thoughts passed through his mind and he realized that the pain in his chest was increasing. " _Maybe I should go to Fourth, tauchoi will not accept so feeble a reason for absence, but I am having trouble breathing normally,"_ he thought annoyed with his own recklessness. Finally he drew a rather ragged breath and said," Thank you Rangkigu, if you could assist me to Fourth I would appreciate it." She smiled and slowly helped lift him off the ground before putting his arm around her shoulders. Thankfully since she was taller than most of the other women Shinigami she could actually support his weight without him having to lean down too far. She smirked and then engaged her shunpo to reach the top of the training grounds before launching them both towards Fourth's barracks.

They got there in very little time and were soon standing in front of the emergency service door. Rangkigu knocked and a moment later a petite woman, probably no higher than 10th seat, opened the door and looked at them with wide eyes. "Please, he was injured during kido practice, I think he may have a broken rib, possibly two," the blonde lieutenant explained. The woman nodded and motioned for them to come in, pointing to a bed where Renji could lay while they prepared to treat him. Another member of Fourth, male this time, walked into the room and over to the first woman. In whispered tones she explained the situation and he nodded before going back into the room from which he came. As the woman made her way back to the bed he returned as well and joined her, this time carrying some kind of pouch and a glass of water.

"Ok Lieutenant Abarai, can you sit up enough to take this medicine?" he asked as he proffered the glass to Renji. Renji nodded and started to try to sit up but found it was harder than he expected. He almost fell back hard but Rangiku was there to support him and pushed him up until he could take the medicine before putting him back down.

"Thanks, but you better get going. I know Taichou Hitsugaya will be furious if you're late," Renji said as she helped him lay back down.

"Stop trying to act tough, I'm not going anywhere till I know you're ok," she replied with a sweet smile and put her hand on his head. He couldn't help but feel grateful for her friendship. Though most people thought she was a no better than a flirt he knew she was a genuine friend to him.

Once the medicine started taking affect he felt sleepy and was dozing off but not before asking her to send a hell butterfly to his captain letting him know he would be in as soon as he was released. She did as asked and sent one to her captain as well before sitting back down in a chair that had been brought for her to sit next to his bed. A moment later he was asleep which allowed the members of Fourth to begin assessing his injuries so they would know the proper method of treatment.

This took about 10 minutes and once they were through with the examination the male of the pair looked at Rangiku before saying, "You were correct in your diagnosis, he broke one rib and cracked another. That must have been some kido hit, who was he fighting?"

She smirked looking back down at Renji's surprisingly peaceful face and sighed, "Himself."

The man's eyes went wide as he thought, "T _his was the result of a kick back? What happened to whatever he landed the hit on?",_ amazed at the amount of damage this man caused to himself because of a poorly fired kido. His professionalism kicked in a moment before he actually voiced the question and he replied with a simple, "Hmmm," before beginning to administer healing kido to mend the broken and cracked bones and heal the singed flesh. When 20 minutes had passed he was finally done and stepped back from the bed.

"He will need to rest for the remainder of the day, but may do so in the comfort of his own home if you think it best" he told the woman in front of him.

"Fine, I will get him back to his quarters and explain to his captain. Thank you for all you have done," she replied.

"Do you require a transport, miss? He looks quite," the woman healer halted in her speech before continuing with a slight blush that made Rangiku want to laugh, "heavy."

This time she did laugh slightly and responded, "He is but it's nothing I can't handle, he'd be upset if I sent him home in a transport, the less people who are aware of this the better so I would greatly appreciate it if you'd keep this incident to yourselves."

"Of course, patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance and honored here," the man replied squaring his shoulders proudly.

Rangiku merely smiled her thanks before lifting Renji on to her shoulders. The next instant she was using shunpo to get him home before any more eyes in the seireitei were around to see them. She landed easily in front of his door and found it opened when she pulled. Carefully she walked to Renji's bedroom and placed him gently on his bed before rising back to her feet. She was going to send another hell butterfly to Byakuya but decided perhaps she should tell him of Renji's need for respite in person. Though she shuttered at the thought (the handsome captain could shake almost anyone's resolve) she knew it would be more appreciated by both him and his lieutenant. She left a hell butterfly to speak to Renji when he woke and headed off for division six's barracks. Upon arrival to the captain's office she paused and then knocked on the door.

"Yes?" came the cool voice of the captain.

"Taichou Kuchiki, it is Rangiku, may I please enter, sir?" she replied evenly.

"Enter," came from within. She did as directed and bowed respectfully to him.

"Well, what is it?" he asked when she had not spoken.

"Taichou, I have just come from returning Lieutenant Abarai to his quarters. As I explained this morning he was injured while practicing kido and though the healers did an exceptional job they have advised of his need to rest. I thought I would come in person to relay the message and to see if I may be of any service to you in his absence?"

Byakuya had been listening to her with his eyes downcast to the paperwork in front of him and heaved a sigh of vexation. " _Really, can that moron not practice kido without practically blowing himself up every time?"_ he thought annoyed. Truthfully, because of his more reserved demeanor these last few weeks Renji had been able to keep up with his work better since he did not waste time complaining about it, but simply completed it. What on earth had come over him Byakuya did not know but he was secretly grateful; it made dealing with his cumbersome lieutenant more bearable.

He looked up and met Rangiku's eyes, hers shifting slightly, which was not uncommon for those who were inflicted by his piercing gaze. "While I appreciate your offer of assistance, I doubt your own taichou would appreciate your absence as a result of my lieutenant's inability to practice kido without almost killing himself. Thank you for relaying the message to me, I will deal with Abarai tomorrow," came the chilly response. Although he had thanked her she doubted whether he felt thankful.

She bowed again and replied, "I understand sir, I will take my leave then. Have a nice day."

With that she turned, exited and closed the door behind her before making her way rapidly to her own office, fully aware that her captain would lay into her for being so late but she didn't really care. Renji had needed her and she knew in this instance she had her priorities right.

At around 6:00 PM Renji began to come to and sat up groggily his bed. " _Wait, what am I doing here and not at the office?"_ he thought with sudden panic looking at the clock. " _Six o'clock at night?! What the hell? How did I sleep all damn day?!"_ he shouted in his head. A cold sweat appeared as he thought of what his captain would probably do to him. Before he could shunpo over to offer his profuse apologies and beg to not have the crap beat out of him he noticed the hell butterfly waiting on the night stand by his bed. Sticking out his finger he leaned towards it and it fluttered to him. He heard Rangiku's voice say, "Renji, I know you will, but please don't worry when you wake up. I went to Taichou Kuchiki and explained your situation. Just feel better and maybe no kido so early in the morning." He smirked at her teasing tone. He flopped back on his bed and decided he'd best get into the office very early tomorrow to make up for his lost day. He sorely wondered what his captain would do or say when he saw him.

As he lay there he realized that he was starving and decided to go out to eat, being too tired and worn to cook. When he went to rise he marveled at how much better he felt and was thankful for Rangiku's insistence on taking him to Fourth. His chest no longer stung from the burns and his breathing was easy due to the ribs being repaired. He stood up and walked into the bathroom so he could rinse off before changing into his regular attire and heading out to one of his favorite restaurants.

As luck would have it Rangiku was there too, waving him over and smiling. "Good to see you up and about, how are you feeling?" she asked as he joined her at her table for two where she'd been sitting by herself before he arrived.

"Much better, all thanks to you getting me to Fourth," he replied with a smile of his own. He was glad of her company and before long they had ordered their meals and were chatting idly while waiting for their food. Once it had been delivered Rangiku decided to press a little further and see if she could get Renji to open up. She was worried if he didn't he'd either blow himself or something else up again.

"Renji," she began gently, "I really think it would be a good thing if you talked about what's really bothering you. I mean, I know on the surface what it is but these types of things need processing and you're bottling it all up."

He stiffened slightly, defense immediately going up and suddenly wishing he'd had the presence of mind to stay at home. He looked steadily at his plate, already more than half empty, and decided he wasn't hungry enough to finish the second half. He made no move to look at her, no comment to encourage this conversation but she was holding fast. She too, could wait out the silence. After about 5 minutes he decided that maybe he should talk to someone, but found himself unwilling to where unwelcome ears could hear him. Finally he cleared his throat and said with his eyes still downcast, "Um, I appreciate your concern, I do, but I don't think I'm comfortable talking…here" he ended as he cast his eyes about him. She understood completely and flagged the waiter down to pay their bill. "My treat," she said with a wink to Renji and he smiled his thanks to her. Once the bill was paid the pair made their way to the exit and into the street.

Still not talking they continued walking towards the end of an ally and around a bend, out towards the edge of the market area. They kept walking until the buildings were behind them and they were in some of the fields that surrounded the seireitei. Once they reached a cluster of trees Renji sat down to lean against one and Rangiku followed his lead, sitting just beside him. Her intuition told her that he may actually open up more if she was not sitting directly in front of him looking at him.

She was right because after a few minutes of silence he started talking. He poured so much more that he had meant to. About his history with Rukia (which people were aware of but knew little about), about their decision to become shinigami's together, about the offer to join the Kuchiki household and how he had encouraged her to do it even though he knew it would mean a drastic change to their relationship. He continued on about how when that transition began it ripped his heart up because while he knew he'd cared about Rukia he didn't realize until she was already gone that he actually loved her. Not like a friend, not like a comrade, not like a sister, he LOVED her and now there was nothing he could do but harbor his feelings of regret and guilt.

"Guilt, Renji? What do you have to be guilty for?" asked Rangiku, these being the first words she had allowed out of her mouth during his whole time talking.

He sighed heavily and said, "I feel guilty because I can see how much the environment she is in stifles her, holds her down, makes her feel inadequate when she is anything but that. I feel guilty because I wasn't brave enough to be selfish when I should have. I should have fought for her to stay with me, to not join the house and to continue winning on her own merits. Not that she hasn't done that, but it's different with the Kuchiki name behind her now. I can see the fire that burned so damn brightly when we were kids into young adults has diminished. And it's because I practically shoved her into the arms of a man and his family who are so cold they make ice shiver."

She was taken aback, not the first time in during his exposition, at how much Renji held against himself things which from her perspective were not of his control. She thought a moment before responding.

"Ok, I can see what you mean to a point, but Renji, I think you know you loved her because you loved her enough to push her towards something that from, given both of your experiences growing up on the street, was better than what you felt you could offer. You have sacrificed too much to feel guilty my friend, I pray you let that go."

He shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to say to her. The silence lingered on as they both looked up at the star filled sky.

"Renji," Rangiku began, "I know you are not going to want to hear this but I'm going to say it anyway because you're my friend and I care about you. I understand completely why you hold your tongue regarding your feelings for Rukia. And while admirable I believe it has been slowly killing you all these years."

She stopped and now moved herself to sit in front of him so he would look in her eyes to receive the full extent of what she was about to say next.

"Hear me now, Renji. I think you should tell Rukia how you feel," and she pressed onward firmly when he opened his mouth to protest, "because if you don't you will wallow in doubt and fear and regret for the rest of your life, which for all accounts should be VERY long."

He looked at her for a long moment before replying, very softly given his strong voice, "Rangiku, I can't do that. Even if she reciprocated, which I don't think she does, we couldn't do anything about it and then where would we be?"

"Better than where you are now!" she exclaimed and his eye brows shot up in response to her exasperated tone. "Renji, before with you not saying anything you two were able to maintain some resemblance of friendship, or at least respect for each other as far is "allowed" between your stations. But now? You can barely be in the same room together without it filling with tension from the words left unsaid. She knows you are upset with her but she doesn't know why and because of her household and her pride she won't, she CAN'T, ask you. So at this point now what are you trying to save? Other than, perhaps, your own pride?"

He frowned but she continued quickly, "Which of course is understandable, NO ONE wants to put themselves out there for possible rejection. I may flirt a lot and enjoy attention but I regret so very , very much not telling Gin exactly how I felt about him because I was so scared of what would happen if he rejected me. And now, he's gone and I will never have that chance." Her eyes teared up a little as she said this and she shook her head trying to regain composure. This was about Renji and Rukia, not her. She looked up again and continued, "Renji, even if she rejects you, whether out of duty or simply not feeling the same way you do, you will never be able to move forward to love another properly and it will be such a sad waste for both you and whoever the woman is to be lucky enough to capture your big heart."

He was stunned, utterly and completely stunned at how candid Rangiku was being with him. They had always been good friends, erring usually on the side of drinking buddies for the first few decades, but now looking at her he realized just how much of a good, deep hearted person she was and found himself grateful that she cared enough to say an uncomfortable truth to him. During her time talking she had placed her hands on his forearms, squeezing him gently to emphasize her points. After absorbing what she said to him he took a deep breath.

"Rangiku, I..I really don't know what to say, it's a lot to think about but I do appreciate you being so honest with me." She smiled at that and squeezed his arms again before releasing them.

"You're welcome, just promise me you'll really think about it. I know it's a lot to consider but I really feel I'm right. And even if the confession causes you momentary pain should the reply be not to your liking at least you will have moved beyond fear and been braver than any other time in your life."

He laughed as he realized the truth of her words. He had stared down some of the fiercest opponents ever. From massive hallows, to Ichigo, to his own captain during Rukia's rescue but the thought of actually confessing his feelings to Rukia scared him more than anything in his life up to this point.

They sat a bit longer in companionable silence, just enjoying the breeze through the trees and the occasional shooting star. Yawning Rangiku stood to her feet and straightened her dress before turning to Renji and offering him her hand. "Come on," she said, "it's probably really late and we both have work to make up tomorrow." Grinning he took her hand and stood up, following behind her after she dropped his hand and they headed back towards the now not so busy streets. They reached the corner in the street between the directions of their respective homes and stopped, hugging each other silently. "Thanks," Renji said planting a swift kiss on top of Rangiku's head before turning and heading for his house. She smiled after him and said, "You're welcome," and then turned to go to her home as well.


	13. Chapter 13 - Actions Speak Louder

Author's Note: In this chapter I will be describing some training/fighting skills that were running around in my head. I have no idea if what I am talking about is even close to correct so I pray patience from anyone who actually knows that they are doing when it comes to this stuff.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo

Waking Up – Chapter 13 – "Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

It was late, that much Orihime knew when she finally awoke from her nap. The sun was completely down and it seemed rich with night when she opened her eyes. " _How long have I been asleep?"_ she wondered. Then she realized she was in her bed but had no memory of having walked to her bedroom. Suddenly she heard what sounded like snoring coming from her living room. Curiously she stood up, stiff and a little sweaty from her exertions that afternoon and having fallen asleep HARD. She figured she'd barely moved at all while unconscious. Quietly she tiptoed out to the living room and found Ichigo sprawled on the couch laying on his back, his mouth open just slightly, snoring. Her heart fluttered seeing him; it was unusual that she saw him this peaceful.

" _The last time I watched him sleep was the night before I was taken to Hueco Mundo,"_ she mused and then shuttered at the memory. No, she was not going to think of that, all of it was over and she was moving on. She kept watching him, her eyes trailing from his rising chest up until she settled on his closed eyes and she smiled softly. Then turning her attention to the table next to him she smiled wider when she realized her had prepared a meal for her. Simple, a sandwich with sweet bean paste and turkey, with an apple and water, but the mere idea of him caring for her like that made her heart sing.

She still couldn't remove herself from the spot she was in, leaning lightly against the threshold of her hallway and sighing as she watched him sleep. " _He cares, he actually cares enough to have made me food and then stayed to make sure I was ok,"_ she thought.

He must have been a light sleeper when in full health because her sigh had caused him to stir and his eyes started to open. She felt herself jerk from the position she was in and she took some steps back. She didn't want him to catch her staring at him while he slept. " _He'll think I'm an even bigger freak than what he already thinks,"_ she commented to herself. Hearing him grunt somewhat in his waking she steeled her nerves and stepped out into the living room.

"Kurosaki-kun," she said as she walked into the room where he was now sitting up on the couch.

He turned his head at her voice and murmured, "Hey, Inoue," while running his hands through his already messy hair.

She moved towards the couch and sat down next to him. He turned to look at her and cleared his throat as he began, "I...I hope you're feeling better. Sorry about finding me here, I hadn't meant to fall asleep, but I wanted to make sure you were ok and before I knew it had crashed myself."

"Oh," she said quickly, "I don't mind at all, thank you for all you did. It…it was sweet," she hesitated on the last word, not sure if he'd appreciate it. He had weird reactions to complements about himself. Come to think of it, so did she. " _Huh, I guess that's one thing we have in common,"_ she thought as she continued to look at him.

He smirked at the compliment and rubbed his face roughly in an effort to wake himself up more. " _She looks cute for someone who just woke up,"_ he thought.

" **She looks more than cute King, she looks hot!"** came the voice of his Hollow very unexpectedly.

" _What are you talking about you pervert, she's my friend, I don't think of her like that!"_ he shot back.

" **Whatever you say King, just remember I know you better than you do sometimes,"** his Hollow replied.

" _Will you just shut up and leave me the hell alone?!"_ Ichigo responded.

" **Not likely,"** smirked the cumbersome spirit but surprisingly he did, at least for the moment.

Ichigo turned his full attention back to Orihime and when he looked in her eyes again realized he hadn't said anything for a while.

"Um…thanks, but it was nothing. If I hadn't barged in on you like that you wouldn't have…"he trailed off, not sure what the correct description o f what had happened to her other than "freaked out". However, he wasn't about to say that to her. It was bad enough he'd contributed to her being in that state of mind without him throwing it in her face.

She reddened slightly as memory took hold of the scene which had transpired between them and she hoped the darkness was thick enough that he didn't see her blush.

"Oh don't worry about that! I was just...high strung from my training…and…and...Well, I don't really know..." she stuttered and stammered over herself.

Without thinking he reached out his hand and covered both of hers resting on top of each other on her knee and said, "Inoue, don't worry about it, I already told you that you don't owe me any apology, nor explanation." He squeezed her hands a little before releasing her, not realizing that his touch had felt like fire to her. It had taken everything in her to not jerk violently when he had touched her.

He stood up and stretched, her eyes trailing up his strong back to his shoulders to his hair. How she longed to run her fingers through it and look in his eyes, tell him she loved him, kiss him…

She shook her head and stood up quickly, moving towards the kitchen to get herself away from their closeness before she actually did what she was thinking!

He noticed her movements but didn't say anything and then started walking towards the door.

"Oh, I um, made you a sandwich but I doubt it's still good, it's been sitting out for a while," he said turning his attention to the coffee table behind him.

"Thank you," she said coming around the couch (the opposite direction of where he was standing) and picked up the plate. She tried a bite of the sandwich and smiled. "Tastes great," she said after she'd swallowed.

He grinned and said, "I'm glad. Well, I should get going. I'll see you around Inoue." He headed to the door again and unlocked it. Turning to look back over his shoulder he grinned a little wider and nodded his goodbye then walked out and shut the door.

Orihime let out a long breath before taking another bite of the sandwich and moving towards the table. She sat down and finished the meal he'd prepared for her. " _I wish I knew if there was something deeper there for me,"_ she thought to herself as she continued to sit at the table. She put her head in her hands and sighed again. " _Orihime Inoue, you are so hopeless, a hopeless romantic,"_ she thought again. Standing, she headed towards her bathroom for a much needed shower before heading back to bed. Despite her long nap she was still exhausted and decided to get some more sleep.

The week passed quickly and before she knew it Friday had come again. She came home from work, changed into her workout clothes and left again to head to her training with Yoruichi.

Upon arrival to the shop she found Yoruichi and Urahara deep in conversation at his desk.

"Hello Yoruichi-sensei, hello Urahara-san," she said brightly as she walked towards where they were.

"Ah, Inoue, hello," said the smiling shopkeeper, "glad to see you in such great spirits these days."

As usual his countenance caused her to falter slightly. She was never quite sure what he had up his sleeve at any time and it made trusting him fully almost impossible.

"I have a new element to your training today, I hope you don't mind," Yoruichi said.

"Of course not, I'm excited!" exclaimed Orihime when she had stopped a few feet from the desk.

"Good, I took some liberties that I hope you will forgive me for," continued her sensei as she came around the desk and gently led Orihime towards the ladder to head into the underground.

"Liberties?" queried Orihime looking at her.

"Yes, it is time that I have others involved in your training, I need to be able to observe you from an outside perspective and for that we must have help. Plus, if you are planning on continuing to be a part of this team, you need to train and practice with your comrades," the purple hair woman answered her before stepping onto the ladder, beckoning Orihime to follow her.

When she reached the bottom of the ladder Orihime turned to once again be stunned by who she saw waiting for them in the underground. It wasn't unlike how she felt the night of their graduation party. " _Was that really almost 5 months ago?"_ she thought as she took in the scene before her.

Standing in a group were Uryu, Chad, Ichigo, Rukia and Renji. All were outfitted in their training garb and all smiling slightly, save for Ichigo who was scowling. Apparently whatever Yoruichi had in mind was not to his liking. Orihime wasn't surprised at this but was surprised he was here at all if he was so opposed to whatever was going on. Then again, knowing him, it would drive him MORE crazy to not be there.

"Hi guys!" Orihime practically squeaked and ran to hug them, "I'm really surprised to see you all. Especially you two," she added facing Renji and Rukia.

"Yeah, well, Renji and I had some leave time available and we were not going to miss your first group training session," Rukia replied while hugging her friend.

"Group training?" Orihime asked looking over to Yoruichi.

"Yes, you have made exceptional progress in your training and as I mentioned above I want the opportunity to watch you while not actively training you myself. Plus, there will be a day when you are in battle with multiple foes and multiple allies and it is good for you to learn how to navigate the field," Yoruichi answered.

At her words Ichigo couldn't stop himself from letting out a frustrated huff, which did not go unnoticed and all eyes turned to him. He ignored all of them except for the golden orbs of the flash step goddess.

"Something to add Ichigo?" she murmured, the slightest hint of amusement in her eyes.

He squared his shoulder to face her completely and said, "Yeah, I think this is foolish. She is nowhere near strong enough to spar with any of us, even with us holding back to our bare minimum." He turned and met Orihime's eyes, his gaze softening slightly as he continued, "I'm sorry Inoue but it's the truth, we've just all been training for a lot longer."

She didn't reply, slightly hurt that he had so little faith in her despite the fact that he was the only other one who'd even seen her fight and fight well in that Hollow battle with him.

"The way I hear it, Inoue provided excellent assistance to you during a Hollow fight not too long ago, so excuse me if I find your opinion negligible," the cool, even voice of Uryu said.

Ichigo whirled around to face him but before he could respond Uryu continued, "Kurosaki, before you continue, I would ask that you consider Inoue's feelings and respect her decision. She decided on her own to train, no one forced her to; the least we can do is offer our support, encouragement and help so that she continues to get better. If you can't handle it, then I suggest you leave."

The room, large as it was, was thick with the tension searing between the substitute shinigami and the Quincy. Theirs was already a loosely built comradeship and this was not helping the situation. For a long moment no one spoke and Orihime felt her heart racing. Her default position was usually to follow whatever Ichigo thought but she found herself feeling…what was the word…proud! Proud that Uryu had stood up for her, even if it was to Ichigo and was causing their already fragile friendship to have further strain.

Finally, Ichigo heaved a heavy sigh and turned his back on the Quincy, surprising everyone including Uryu when he said, "Fine, just…go as easy as possible."

"Of course," replied Yoruichi smiling as she continued, "I have no desire to cause damage to her but Ichigo, you know that she must endure some pain in order to grow. We all must in this life as we grow up. Yours," she gestured to the group in front of her, sweeping her arm to include Orihime," is just a different type of growing pain. Orihime knew the consequences of this decision so have some faith in her abilities and being able to think for herself."

He stiffened slightly and glanced over to Orihime who still had not said a word. He sighed again and nodded, falling back into the group and waiting for Yoruichi's instructions.

"Now that we're all on the same page," she said turning to Orihime, "the first thing I want to explore is your ability to put up your shield against an object flying _towards_ you. You've managed to successfully create barriers to block my physical attacks but you need to learn to anticipate the timing of blocking a quickly moving object."

Turning to Uryu she said, "I'm sure you've interpreted by now that this is where you will be of assistance Ishida. Please walk that direction until you are approximately 300 yards away from us. The rest of you move to the side here." She gestured with her hand where she wanted everyone to be. As they moved she turned back to Orihime and said, "Now, just breath and focus on getting Santen Kesshun up. We're going to start with you holding the shield up first and Ishida will fire at it much the same as he would any target. I want you to get used to how strong his attack is."

Orihime nodded nervously. She had seen Uryu's attacks, they were very powerful. Her eyes were wide with hesitation and was surprised when she heard her own voice say, "Ok, but what happens if he breaks through?"

Yoruichi walked up to her and put her hands on her shoulders looking into her eyes. "I am going to have him start at one quarter power. He can control the level of his attacks very well. Trust him, he won't do anything to hurt you. If you feel the shield beginning to break move to the side and you should be fine. Tessai is standing by in case anything happens but I don't want you focusing on that. You need to focus on making the shield strong, ok?"

Orihime nodded and got into position as instructed by her sensei. She watched as Yoruichi flash stepped to Uryu to give him her instructions. She saw him nod in understanding and then suddenly Yoruichi was back beside her.

"Ok Orihime, put up your shield," instructed her sensei.

Orihime took a deep breath before calling, "Santen Kesshun," and her three sacred links shield manifested quickly in front of her. She held her hands out just in front of her, not touching the shield but pouring her power into it to make it stronger.

"Oi, Ishida! Fire when ready!" shouted Yoruichi, but she did not move from her spot beside Orihime.

Orihime watched as Uryu slowly lifted his bow and generated a brightly glowing blue arrow. He held it in place for a beat and then exhaling he let it fly. It was fast! Shooting through the air it connected with Orihime's shield before she even realized he'd let it go. The slam against her shield made her jerk violently but it held.

"Now, did you feel that?" Yoruichi asked.

Orihime nodded, how could she not have felt it? It was like her hands had gotten smacked though she knew there was no damage to them.

"OK, now you know a little bit more of what to expect. Are you ready for another shot, this time turned up another quarter in intensity?"

She nodded, mentally willing her shield to strengthen more. She felt the power flowing through her to her shield. " _Don't worry mistress, we believe in you, you just need to believe in yourself and we'll all be fine,"_ she heard the small voice of Lily say. She smiled, grateful for the mental connection she possessed with her spirits and their encouragement.

"Ok Ishida, crank it up another quarter and let it fly!" the woman next to her shouted.

Uryu took a deep breath and produced another arrow as instructed. He exhaled and released.

BAM! The clang of the contact echoed throughout the underground causing Orihime to wince but her shield held strong.

"Again!" shouted Yoruichi and another arrow was !

"Three more again!"

BAM! BAM! BAM! Each made perfect contact with the healer's shield as she refocused her energy each time to keep it strong.

After a few more rounds, the whole thing taking less than 5 minutes, she heard Yoruichi ask "Ok, Orihime, how are you feeling?"

"Ok, just a little tired from holding the shield so long," Orihime answered.

"I figured as much. This is helping you build the stamina of your spirit power as much your physical exertions increase your body's stamina. Do you want to keep going or are you ready to try something else?"

Orihime thought for a moment. She really was getting tired but was excited by how well she'd done this far. She was curious if she could handle even one full power arrow.

"Sensei, do you think I should try to block a full power arrow this time?" she asked softly.

"The question is do you think you should? Do you think you could hold the shield against an attack that powerful?"

"I am not sure…" Orihime answered honestly, "but I know I want to try."

Yoruichi smiled at her young pupil, proud of her determination and bravery.

"Ok, then we'll do it this way. I will keep my arm around your waist so that if the shield looks like it won't hold I will move us both to safety," she replied putting action to her words.

She looked up towards Uryu and shouted, "Ok Ishida, one full power arrow if you please."

Uryu's eyebrows lifted in surprise that they were moving this quickly to a full power attack. He hesitated, looking at the women in front of him and feeling the heated gaze of Ichigo on him from the group of bystanders. If he hurt her, even unintentionally and by the direction of her sensei, he knew he'd have to answer to Kurosaki. " _Gladly,"_ he thought with a smirk feeling it had been far too long since someone had put the arrogant ass in his place. Although, truthfully he hoped it would not come to that because it would come at the expense of Orihime being injured, by him no less, and he was not looking forward to as a possible prospect.

He focused his energy, charging up as high as he dared. While he wanted to follow Yoruichi's direction he didn't feel comfortable going _full_ power, especially since he had been doing lone training of his own and knew that he was much stronger than when they'd been in the war. He kept building until he was at a level which matched his full power as it had been when they'd invaded Soul Society. This he felt was sufficient, given that they had already been going at this for almost 5 full minutes without Orihime dropping her shield.

He took a deep breath and then loosed the powerful arrow. To him it felt like slow motion as he watched his attack bear down on his friend and her sensei.

 **BAM, whoosh!** The sound was tremendous and made everyone in the room flinch as a thick cloud of dust formed where the two women had once stood.

"Inoue!" shouted Uryu dropping his stance, barely holding onto his bow.

"It's ok, Ishida, she's over here," he heard Yoruichi say and turned toward the sound of her voice.

She had moved Orihime out of harm's way before the shield had cracked and the arrow connected with the ground where they had been standing only a moment before.

He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, thankful that he had not hurt her. Walking back he could again feel Ichigo's eyes on him and saw his clenched fists but chose to ignore him.

"Well done, Inoue," he said with a small smile for the red-head. 

She was shaking a little from their near miss but returned the smile and said, "Thank you, Ishida-kun, I appreciate your assistance in my training!"

He smiled a little larger at her enthusiasm and bowed before rejoining the line of his comrades.

"Alright, let's have you take a little break Orihime before we continue to the next portion of your training," Yoruichi said as she guided the girl to sit down on the ground. Everyone else followed suit and before long they were all chatting idly while she rested.

They all complimented her on her shield skills. Even Ichigo managed to sound sincere in his praise.

When 20 minutes had elapsed Yoruichi called everyone back to attention. They all stood and waited her instructions.

"Orihime, we've done a lot of work with sword sticks and some hand to hand combat. I want to pair you with someone larger than me so you can learn how to use your weight to shift another's who though they may be heavier you can still control with the proper movements and momentum."

Orihime hitched her breath a little. Who did she have in mind for her to fight? Beginning her hand to hand combat training had prompted her to ask for a second official training session with Yoruichi so that she was now up to two sessions a week but she couldn't practice at home so her skill level was still much lower than she would like. But she trusted her sensei and merely nodded her head, waiting for who she would be paired with.

" Ichigo, come up here," said the purple haired noble and motioned for him. Ichigo started violently, his arms crossed in front of him where they had been the entire time he'd been there.

"Are you kidding me? No way, there's no way I'm fighting Inoue," he said brusquely.

Yoruichi raised her eyebrows at his refusal. She had really been hoping he'd help because while any of the other men were fine choices as sparing partners she felt Orihime would have done best with him, despite her knowledge of the girl's feelings for him. She smirked and thought, " _Sorry, Orihime, guess he's still more of a boy than I thought,"_ before turning to the rest of the men in the group and saying, "Ok then, how about one of you three? Anyone willing to help?"

There was silence for a moment and then Renji stepped up and said, "Sure, why the hell not, I'll give it a go with her." He moved his eyes to Orihime and grinned. She felt her knees almost give out. " _Oh dear, I'm am so dead,"_ she thought.

"Like hell you will! What the hell Yoruichi, he's twice her size and probably ten times the muscle capacity, what could you possibly hope to accomplish besides getting her neck broken?!" shouted Ichigo. He was fuming, fists clenched, breathing hard.

"Hey idiot," said Renji turning toward him before Yoruichi could reply, "will you calm down? I'm not going to use my full strength on her. If anything, I'm acting more as a punching and throw bag than anything else. She needs to get used to this one way or the other and if you're not willing to help her then step aside and let someone who is do it!"

Ichigo was using the last bit of self control he had to not deck the red-haired man in front of him. " _How can no one else think this is a bad idea?!"_ he shouted in his own mind.

" **King! You're passing up on this opportunity to be near the princess again, what the hell is wrong with you?"**

" _Wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with all of them and you? Orihime isn't a fighter, she'll get hurt even with someone not using their full strength!"_

" **Then you do it and keep her safe! How can you be so blind to that conclusion?"** the Hollow barked back.

But before he could reply he saw Renji moving forward to stand before Orihime. It was too late, they were going to really do it.

He watched as they both took their stance, Orihime unsure how to even proceed.

"Ok, Orihime," said Yoruichi and both she and Renji glanced at her direction but held their stances, "I want you to start with some high kicks and punches. Don't worry, Renji is more than capable of blocking them and I doubt very much if you could damage him even if you were able to make contact. So go for it, use ALL your strength in your kicks and punches to get used the feeling of making contact with another being."

Orihime nodded and began moving, but instead of staying in front of her Renji started to circle. She followed the motion to keep him in front of her with a questioning look in her eyes that he answered with a smirk, saying, "I'll go easy on you princess, but I won't _make_ it easy for you. You want me, come get me!"

Her eyes widened and then she smiled as she moved forward more quickly to close the distance between them.

Without another hesitation she threw a punch which he block with his hand. She didn't pause as she balanced herself and whipped her leg around towards his head, again being blocked. But now that she had made her first two contacts she felt braver, more confident. This wasn't as hard as she thought! She could really do this, she could fight! Well, she could attack at least as Renji had yet to attack her back. She kept going, getting faster and faster until she made contact with him in a less than optimal area: his groin.

He went down and she instantly felt bad. "Oh Renji, I'm sorry," she said rushing forward.

"Watch out!" cried Rukia but it was too late. Once she was within reach Renji grabbed her, spun her around and had her in a head lock. She gasped, her eyes momentarily filled with fear.

"Do not allow yourself to feel sympathy for your enemies Inoue," he said in her ear, "it will bring defeat upon you quicker than most anything else." Realizing he had not fully gripped her but just enough to get his point across she nodded. He released her and they faced each other again.

Ichigo had to be held back by Chad holding onto the shoulder on his jacket. "She's fine, he won't hurt her," rumbled the big man behind him. Still Ichigo was seeing red at having witnessed the grab, it was a dirty trick and he hated it.

"Continue, only this time Renji make some attacks back, just watch your strength!" shouted Yoruichi and the buxom healer and large shinigami moved towards each other again. 

Orihime threw another punch that was again blocked by Renji and this time his own fist was moving nearer her body. She moved on instinct and blocked the movement, sending a kick his way in response. He blocked her again. Back and forth they went, everyone surprised at the increasing speed that Orihime was beginning to move at and her ability to block such a large opponent.

"Is he even really trying?" Uyru leaned down to ask Rukia.

She nodded, "Yes, I know it looks like he's just playing with her because we've seen the ferocity with which he fights but I've seen him train new recruits, male and female, and while he is holding himself back a great deal he is making her work for it."

Uryu merely nodded.

At one point the pair broke apart, sizing each other up. Suddenly, Renji burst forward to tackle her. Orihime had jumped backwards but forgotten to move to the side and he was quickly bearing down upon her. Realizing her mistake as she continued to fly backwards she allowed gravity to start pulling her back towards the ground.

Renji had just reached a point where he was almost completely above her but before he could grab her shoulders she grabbed the material of his collar and bent her legs up until her feet were against his chest. He knew what she was planning before she really did. She was going to try to push him up and over herself. She'd land hard doing it but it could be an effective method of getting him away from her. But he wasn't going to make it that easy for her. By the time her feet were in position they had almost hit the ground and he had grabbed her shoulders.

As she felt her back start to hit the ground she continued in the direction her momentum was taking her and used all the strength she had to push Renji's heavy form up and over her doing a backwards somersault as she moved. However, instead of flying away from her his grip on her shoulders meant he merely continued in the awkward combined somersault and his back started towards the ground.

They were looking at each other and he smirked. " _Oh crap,"_ she thought as she felt him also use the momentum to heave her over himself and throw her! Her grip was nowhere near strong enough to cling to his robes and they were wrenched away in the violence of his throw. Her body was airborne before she knew it and she found herself wishing fervently that she could change herself into a cat like Yoruichi and land on her feet. Even though she knew she was moving at tremendous speed everything felt like it was in slow motion. Surprisingly she found that she was not flailing as much as she thought and was actually managing to right herself some. The landing would still be hard but she really felt as if she'd manage to at least land in a somewhat upright position.

However, even as she finished these observations she felt herself caught against a strongly built chest and rock solid arms wrapped themselves around her. The scent of the person catching her instantly told her Ichigo had sprung from his position of observance to catch her.

"Kurosaki!" shouted Uryu angrily at the same time as Yoruichi shouted "Ichigo!" in the same tone of voice.

He scowled at them, but didn't care they were pissed because Orihime was safe. He would kill Renji later for this! His Hollow was frantically trying to take over and it took all he had to push him back down as he landed he and Orihime safely.

Once they had landed he let her go slightly only to get the shock of his life when she wrenched herself free and turned on his with an angry face.

"Kurosaki-kun, what are you doing?!" she shouted.

He looked at her with a confused scowl. " _What the hell?"_ he thought as he looked into her anger filled eyes.

"What to do you mean? You were about to fall out of the sky, did you really think I'd let you just fall to the ground?" he said more forcefully than he meant but he was angry. Angry at Renji, angry at Yoruichi, angry at this whole situation but trying hard to not take his anger out on the girl in front of him.

She flung her hands up and let our an exasperated sigh before settling her arms next to her, her own fists clenched in her agitation, head downcast, trying to get her own temper under control.

" _He really has no faith in me, I'm only a princess to be saved and a healer when the need arises,"_ she thought.

She had no concept of the people running up to them, only the thundering in her heart and head as she looked back up and held Ichico's gaze. For the first time ever she had no hesitation in her words to him, no nervous flutter in her heart as she bored into his eyes, no feeling of inadequacy. She was, quite simply, pissed off at his arrogance and was going to let him have it.

"Kurosaki-kun," she began, softer than she imaged she would but somehow this tone seemed more fitting to her feelings and showed him the seriousness of her words, "I wish I could say I appreciate it, that you are always saving me. And to a point, I do. I have been very thankful and grateful to have someone like you looking out for me."

His scowl lightened slightly at these words, but knew there was more to come.

"However, I cannot thank you in this instance. Yes, I was flying through the air, yes I was headed for what probably would have amounted to some significant pain upon landing, and yes I let my guard down to be put into that position. However, what you failed to see because you were so intent on protecting me was that I had righted my body. I was at the very least going to land on my feet, probably ending up on my knees because of the force, but I would have _landed_ not merely fallen."

He started slightly at this, aware that she was completely right. He hadn't been looking at her stance, just her body flying through the air.

She continued after taking a deep breath, "Kurosaki-kun, if you cannot handle the prospect of me getting hurt in training I fear for what it will mean when we are on the battle field together. If you cannot trust me to learn to defend myself, to right myself, to endure pain, we will be poor comrades. I need to learn this and you need to let me. So please, if you cannot handle this, leave."

The audience behind them all widened their eyes at this torrent of words coming from the normally soft spoken healer, particularly since they were all painfully aware of her affections for Ichigo. Orihime Inoue was indeed changing from a fledging school girl with minor powers to a strong, confident fighter and it was breathtaking to behold.

Ichigo stood stunned by her words, unable to formulate a response. He just stood staring at her stupidly. After another moment of silence Orihime closed her eyes with an intake of breath and turned her back on the man in front of her.

"Renji," she said and he snapped his attention to her, "thank you for the sparing, I learned a lot from you. I hope we can do it again sometime." He was too shocked to say anything but merely bowed.

She walked towards the ladder and put her foot on the first rung before saying to Yoruichi, "Thank you for the training sensei, but I feel I must leave to recuperate, I will be back in a couple days to continue." With that she headed up the ladder, eyes transfixed on the hole above her and ignoring the eyes which followed her form until it disappeared into the inky hole above.

The party turned toward Ichigo who still had his eyes on the hole. " _What the hell just happened?"_ he thought. He suddenly felt the gaze of everyone and scowled but made no effort to respond. He walked away and began his own ascent out of the underground.

The group remained silent for a while, each too surprised to formulate a cohesive thought. Finally Renji chuckled and said, "Hell, who knew the little healer had it in her?" before walking back to the ladder too.

The rest of the group looked at each other before following him. One by one they left the training grounds, very much aware that a significant shift had happened in their little circle of friends/comrades and each thought as one accord, " _What happens now?"_


	14. Chapter 14 - Battlefield of the Mind

**Author's Note: Well, I would be lying if I said that my last chapter received a different reaction that I was hoping for but that is part of writing a story. Not everyone is going to agree with the direction you send your characters. Hopefully this next chapter is well received. Reviews are welcome or even just a note to let me know this story is still being enjoyed would be appreciated.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 14 – "Battlefield of the Mind"

Ichigo was still fuming as he walked home from the shop. He couldn't believe what Orihime had said to him. " _What the hell got into her? All I was trying to do is protect her, that's all I'm ever trying to do!"_ he thought as his speed increased. Soon he was running out of frustration, out of anger, out of confusion. He wasn't fully aware of where his feet were taking him, almost as if they had a mind of their own and the rest of his body was just along for the ride. Before he knew it he'd stopped, breathing heavily, at the foot of Orihime's stairs.

" _What the hell am I doing here? What is wrong with me?"_ he asked himself and shook his head, getting his breathing back to normal. He had no idea why he was standing at the foot of the stairs of a woman who had basically insulted him in front of their friends. " _No, that's not fair,"_ he thought again but still the pain in his heart continued. He stood there, irresolute of what to do. Finally, he flung his body backwards as he turned away from the stairs and continued on towards his house, unaware of the parted curtain behind him where Orihime watched him walk away.

He made it home and changed out of his clothes to take a much needed shower. As the water cascaded around him he leaned his foreman against the cool tile and hung his head slightly. Taking a deep breath he turned to finish his shower, changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. He fell asleep but it wasn't long before he was waking up again to a torrential downpour.

" **King, wake the hell up!"** he heard his Hollow thunder from above him. Sitting up he shook his head and contemplated the landscape around him. He had been pulled into his inner world by the black and white replica of himself and this same being was now standing over him. " **Get up, I'm going to kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit for a month!"** shouted the irritating spirit. He grabbed his zanpakuto and drew on Ichigo as he continued to sit looking at him.

"What's the big idea?! " shouted Ichigo as he rose to his feet and grabbed Zangetsu from behind his back, drawing him in front of his body.

His Hollow smirked and snorted his disgust, " **You really are a moron!"**

Ichigo inhaled slightly, getting ready to defend as the first attack came.

CLANG! Their zanpakutos impacted one another and soon they were in a fierce battle for control. Back and forth they parried, Ichigo getting the upper hand and then the Hollow, the back and forth becoming a blur as they moved faster through the downpour. Neither of them let up, increasing the violence of their attacks.

The Hollow's zanpakuto made connection with Ichigo's body and he cried out in pain. It had been some time since the spirit had been able to make full flesh contact with his weapon and the surprise of it coupled with the pain made Ichigo fall to one knee, his hand holding the wound to try to keep his blood from flowing out. The Hollow bellowed out a laugh of pure evil filled glee as he followed Ichigo to the ground to deliver another devastating blow, this one with his right fist to Ichico's face sending him flying across the ground. "UH!" came from Ichigo as he tumbled over and over finally landing on his stomach but with Zangetsu still somehow in his grip. He barely had time to register the third attack and rolled away as the Hollow's sword slammed into the dirt where his head had been a moment before.

He lifted Zangetsu up to block the fourth attack, his Hollow hovering over him and pushing down on the sword with his own. Ichigo's arms were burning, his lungs felt like they were on fire and his blood was flowing freely now, not only from the chest wound but from cheek as well, the result of the vicious right hook that had sent him flying. "Aaaaarggghhh!," bellowed Ichigo as he pushed with all his might in an effort to push his Hollow off of him but from this position it was impossible to get his full weight behind the defense. They continued to push against one another's swords, the whole time the Hollow laughing maniacally in Ichigo's face. The rain was continuing to pelt them and he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open because of it.

Finally Ichigo managed to lift the Hollow up enough to pull his knee up and force his foot into his stomach. "Oaf!" came the reply to the kick and it was just enough distraction for Ichigo to be able to push him off and he scrambled to his feet.

" _I have to get out of here, I have to wake up!"_ Ichigo shouted to himself. He hadn't seen his Hollow this pissed off in a long time and realized it had been entirely too long since their last fight. He had under estimated his inner demon and was paying for it now. He'd let him run "free" too long and now he was struggling to regain control. The rain continued, getting heavier and heavier, obscuring his vision and making it hard to track the movements of the Hollow. He could feel himself moving slower due to the loss of blood. How he could bleed so much was beyond him. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind he wondered how much he could bleed here. In the physical world he'd have passed out by now but here, in his inner world, although it hurt, he could last much longer with these kinds of injuries. But not forever and he knew he had to win the fight otherwise he wasn't sure if he could get out. He wasn't even sure how the Hollow had pulled him involuntarily into his world. He'd done it before and Ichigo could only suppose he had gone slack in his defenses recently and now here he was, momentarily outmatched by the worst representation of himself.

During his whole thought process the fighting had continued, the clanging of metal against metal reverberating against the flow of water coming from the sky. The black sky lit up now and again by lightening. " _That's new,"_ thought Ichigo as another flash of light was followed by a tremendous crack of thunder. The storm was raging and he was beginning to have a hard time hanging on to Zangetsu as the water and his own fatigue inhibited his grip. " _This is bad, this is really bad,"_ thought Ichigo as he continued fighting. The Hollow wasn't letting up, wasn't slowing down, just attacking and attacking and attacking. How he could keep going at this rate Ichigo didn't know because he KNEW how much the spirit hated the rain, avoided it like the plague, even hiding from it sometimes.

Ichigo had no idea how long this had been going on but it felt like hours. Hours of fighting, mostly defending at this point, against the evil spirit created so many years ago out of desperation. He'd really had no idea what he'd signed up for then, all he knew at the time was he had needed to get stronger to save Rukia. He wouldn't change it of course, he was glad she was safe if not exactly happy, but right now he would have given a lot to have had another option so that he would not have to endure this being before him. This being, who he was horrified to realize as another slash made connection with his left arm, was winning the battle for control.

Bleeding from three wounds now and exhausted from the strength it took just to defend himself Ichigo wondered anew what had gotten into his Hollow. He was fighting with the same ferocity he'd shown the first time they'd battled for control of his mind. Why after all this time? He knew if he didn't do something different he was going to lose and that he could not do. He mustered as much of his strength as he could and gathering his power he shouted, "Getsuga Tensho!" A bright blue wave erupted from Zangetsu and the Hollow dodged, rolling to the side. Ichigo wasted no time and was on top of him with his sword to the white throat. He'd finally won and they both knew it. Both were breathing heavily as Ichigo scowled down into the bright yellow eyes.

"Now then," his raspy but even voice said, "are you going to tell me what the hell all that was about?"

The Hollow grinned and chuckled, shaking his head. He really loathed being trapped in the mind of such a simpleton.

They continued staring at each other until the Hollow shrugged his shoulders, " **What can I say King, gotta get my kicks every now and again, right?"**

Ichigo's eyebrows rose at this and he put the sword in contact with the Hollow's neck before replying, "Like hell that's the reason. You haven't fought me that hard in years, why now? What has gotten into you? And what the hell is up with this storm?!" He was shouting now, feeling rage at this thing below him that he had no choice but to live with.

The Hollow laughed again despite the cold feeling of the sword at his throat and shot back, " **When are you going to wake up and realize what's right in front of you?!"** The sword was pressed more firmly, drawing just the slightest bit of blood as Ichigo leaned down further and said, "Stop answering my questions with questions and tell me in plan words or I'll cut your throat out."

" **Well, if you did that then I couldn't very well tell you, now could I?** " came the mocking reply.

Ichigo stiffened at the sardonic tone but he stepped back, finally allowing the Hollow to rise up. Ichigo eyed him somewhat warily, wondering if he'd made a mistake letting him up. However, because of his own warped sense of battle honor the Hollow knew he had been bested and would not, at least for now, attack again. Both of them were soaked from all the water falling around them and the sky was bursting bright with more and more lightening, peals of thunder shaking the walls of Ichigo's mind as they stared at each other.

Ichigo sighed again and said, "Tell me."

His Hollow heaved his own sigh and said with his head down, " **Inoue** **Orihime**."

Ichigo started violently as the name of his friend rolled over the demon's tongue, almost like he had caressed it. It made Ichigo feel sick inside hearing his friend's name spoken that way by him.

"What about her?" Ichigo shouted, unable to keep himself from raising his voice in his irritation.

The Hollow snapped his head back up and looked at Ichigo's face, shouting, " **She's the reason for the rain you moron!** "

"What? What the hell are you talking about?"

" **Think about it King, think about the day, the night, the fight you had with her, or really the rather funny tongue lashing she gave you in front of all your friends. Think about where you ended up when you were running around like a freaking chicken with your head cut off! And now the storm is raging in your mind, where I have to live thank you very much, and it's all because of her! Will you just get it over with and screw her already?!"**

This last question made Ichigo see red and despite his extreme exhaustion he flung himself upon the Hollow and pinned him to the ground again, decking him in the face with his right hand before drawing his face towards his own by his collar. "What the hell did you just say? Why in the world would I screw Orihime?!"

His Hollow bellowed a loud laugh causing Ichigo to hit him again.

" **You know what King? If you're not man enough to handle her just let me have control. I'll give her what she wants, what you both want really if you were honest with yourself. Don't think I don't know the thoughts you've had about her, the ones at the very back of your mind that you won't let see the light of day out of fear. For someone who is so freaking ready to die all the time you sure are a coward when it comes to her.** "

Ichigo wrenched himself off the Hollow, no longer willing to listen to his vulgar talk.

"You're crazy and I'm leaving. The next time you pull something like this I'm putting you down for good, the consequences be damned!"

" **The next time I try this I will win and I will take the princess myself,** " sneered the spirit.

Ichigo didn't bother with a reply and flung himself back to his body, raising up on his bed and feeling like crap. His whole body hurt and his head was spinning. He sat in bed thinking back over the whole ordeal, wondering again what to do. He cared about Inoue of course, they were friends, but that's as far as it went, for him and for her. " _Right?_ " he asked himself. A moment later he heard the bellow of a hollow from outside. "Damn it," he said through clenched teeth as he reached for his spirit badge. However, the next sound that came to his ears was the distinct defeat of the hollow. Although exhausted he found himself curious who had slayed it. " _Maybe Renji or Rukia since they are in town?"_ he thought and tried to sense their reiatsu but the one he came upon was not one he recognized. Now he was really curious; there was someone new in town. Grabbing his badge he pushed it against himself and his body fell back into his bed. He stepped through the window and into the night.

Following the reiatsu (he was getting better at sensing it) he came upon a young man dressed in a shihakusho just finishing a konso on a little girl's spirit, no doubt the prey he had saved from the Hollow he'd slain. Ichigo waited until he had stood up before walking forward.

"Hey," he said to the man in front of him, "you're new around here."

The young man turned and faced him while placing his zanpakuto on his back.

"Yes, please to officially meet you Kurosaki Ichigo, my name is Kano Koizumi and I have been assigned as the new Soul Reaper to oversee Karakura Town," replied the man with a slight bow.

Ichigo's eyebrows raised and he crossed his arms. "Really, which squad are you from?"

"Division six," was the reply and caused Ichigo to smirk. So this new guy was from Byakuya's squad?

"Huh, well I guess I should be glad. I may not like your captain very much but I know his squad is top notch. Though don't tell him I said that, I'll never hear the end of it."

Kano smiled at the compliment and bowed his thanks.

"Anyway, this is the first I've heard of this, when did this happen?" Ichigo asked as he turned to go back to his home and gestured for the man to follow him.

"It was decided this evening. The head captain had it brought to his attention that you were handling the bulk of hollow exterminations and konsos. So he sent word to the squads to send their selections and he would pick an official Soul Reaper to take over your duties. I am honored he chose me, I know how important this town is to so many in Soul Society."

Ichigo nodded his head. They had helped Soul Society a great deal and he was glad to see their worth acknowledged with this sending of a qualified Soul Reaper to look over the town.

"Humph, guess I'll have to get used to the idea of taking a back seat from now on," replied Ichigo as they reached the area below his window.

"Or you could leave Karakura Town and actually live your life," came a deep voice from above them.

Both Ichigo and Kano looked up to see a black cat staring down at them from a top the fence next to the ally.

"Yoruichi," murmured Ichigo as the feline form of the flash step goddess swished her tail.

Kano's eye became wide and he dropped to his knees, face down with his hands above his head in a deep bow to the noble.

"No need for formalities shinigami, I am after all a fugitive," the deep male voice spoke.

"Oh, um, forgive me sir, uh ma'am," stammered the man.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned his attention fully to the cat before asking, "What do you mean, leave Karakura Town? This is my home, why would I leave it?"

"Because Ichigo," said the cat, "you are a young man now, you should go out and discover more of this world while you are still living in it. What of university, what of moving forward in your own life? Believe me, there will be plenty of time for battles and wars and all the things you've become accustomed to when you come to Soul Society at the end of your life. I have no doubt you will be sought after to become an official shinigami at that time. For now, take advantage of the opportunity to go and be your own man."

Ichigo noticed the Kano had left, most likely out of respect for what had turned into a very private conversation. He shrugged his shoulders before replying, "I guess I could do that, never really thought about it before."

Yoruichi smirked and said, "That is not surprising, why do you think I went to the head captain myself to make him see the error of his ways of allowing you to continue with full time shinigami duties when you are merely a substitute?"

His eyes widened at her words, wondering why she had risked capture for something he thought of as unimportant. He'd always just figured Soul Society had been busy recuperating from the war much as he and his friends were and that they would get around to assigning a new Soul Reaper to take over.

"Why on earth would you do that? How did you get out again? Aren't they trying to force you back into the nobility?" he asked hurriedly.

She smiled and swatted his head to get him to shut up.

"I went because I wanted to. And because someone asked me to on your behalf."

"What? Who?"

"Orihime, who else knuckle head," came the reply with an exasperated sigh.

He really shouldn't be surprised, of course she would think of asking for help for him, she tried her damnedest to protect him as much as he did her.

He sighed and looked back up to the cat, "I'll make sure to tell her thank you. And thank you, too Yoruichi."

She smiled her welcome and proceeded on her way back to the shop. Ichigo leapt up to his window and reconnected with this body, laying there in the stillness of the night. When he heard yet another hollow bellow out he was surprised at how quickly he had adjusted to the fact that he did not have to rush out to kill it. Kano could handle it. There was something in the man's eyes which spoke of confidence and ability and though it was against his very nature Ichigo found himself trusting the new shinigami much faster than he ever thought possible. His trust was not misplaced as he once again heard the cry of the hollow's defeat and he rolled over to try to actually get some sleep.


	15. Chapter 15 - The Point of no Return

**Author's Note: Some characters may appear a little OOC in this so I ask that readers keep in mind that I am trying to expand upon them and show different sides to them. All have room to grow and so I'm trying to stretch them even as I stretch myself. Thank you and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking up – Chapter 15 – "The Point of no Return"

It was weeks after the sparring incident that Renji and Rukia were in Soul Society and back to their respective duties. The trip had somewhat eased the tension between them, mostly because they were both glad to see their friends from the world of the living. Renji would never admit just how glad but because it put him in a better mood being around them (even the annoyingly overprotective and reactive orange-head) he was able to be a little more at ease around Rukia. Now that they were back to their own realm the ease had carried over and they were less tense around each other.

Rangiku noticed the change between her two friends one day and making eye contact with Renji gave him a pointed look that spoke her question clearly, " _Things better now?_ " He smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders. She shook her head and nodded for him to follow her outside, the object of their silent conversation being in the room. Renji rolled his eyes but did follow her out the door and around the corner of the training grounds where the three of them had been with many other shinigamis practicing kido again.

"So, spill it, what happened? Did you finally talk to her?" Rangiku asked without ceremony.

Renji huffed and crossed his arms, "No, we just had that trip to visit Ichigo and everyone and, I don't know, it seemed to help being around them."

She raised her eyebrows a little and said, "That's interesting, care to elaborate?"

"There's nothing to elaborate on, we went, we had fun and we came back."

"Fun, huh? What did you guys do there? I wish I could have gone with you but mean old Toshi wouldn't let me go," she replied with a pout.

He laughed at her description of her captain before answering, "Nothing much, the first day we were there we went to watch Inoue's training." His smile dropped slightly and Rangiku's face fell. Had something happened to Orihime?

"Why do you have that look on your face, did something happen?" she asked with worry in her voice.

He shook his head, but was still frowning, "No, no, nothing like that. In fact, I thought it was going well until she and I sparred."

Rangiku's exclaimed, "What?! YOU sparred with Orihime? How did that happen, I'm surprised Yoruichi wanted that."

"Originally she asked Ichigo to do it but the berry-head was acting like a freaking idiot about it all so I said I would help her," Renji retorted somewhat irritated.

Rangiku was even more surprised now. Ichigo hadn't wanted to make sure she stayed safe by sparring with her?

"Well, I'm glad she could learn from one of the best," Rangiku said with a small smile and watched with amusement as Renji blushed slightly from the compliment.

He cleared his throat and said, "Yea, uh, well, whatever. He ended up getting in the way."

"How, so?"

"At one point I went in for a takedown and Orihime almost managed to kick me off, but I grabbed her shoulders and countered the defense."

Rangiku's eyes widened, "Renji, you didn't! How could you do that to our sweet Orihime? She must have been terrified."

He surprised her by the width of his grin when replying, "Oh no, she was doing just fine. Probably would have landed too except Ichigo lost his friggin' mind and sprang up to catch her." 

"Well, that's not too surprising. He may not be able to understand it, poor boy, but I think he cares for her more than he ever lets on."

Renji shrugged, not particularly caring what Ichigo did or did not realize, and said "Yeah well, what was surprising is once they landed she spun around and actually laid into him. It was quite the scene."

"What?" Rangiku asked in a whisper, her eyes wide again.

Renji actually laughed as he continued, "Yeah, you could have knocked all of us down with a feather we were so shocked, most of all Ichigo of course. His face was priceless."

Rangiku would have continued the conversation but at that moment Toushiro came around the corner and his already scowling face became, if possible, more irritated when he saw his lieutenant.

"Matsumoto, stop gossiping and get back to work! You too, Abarai," he shouted angrily.

"Yes captain," they both replied and went back to their respective duties, but Rangiku knew she would not be able to concentrate properly as she mulled over what Renji had told her.

Later that evening, after all training had been completed and Renji was writing his day end reviews of the newer recruits he kept thinking back to his and Rukia's trip. He kept writing as his mind then wandered to the conversation he'd had with Rangiku all those weeks ago about Rukia. Truth be told, he had never really stopped thinking about it, it was always in the back of his mind. " _Should I really tell her?_ " he thought, this being probably the hundredth or even thousandth time he'd asked himself this same question. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts and work that he didn't hear the knock at the door until it was repeated with some force.

Coming out of his reverie Renji replied, "Come in," but did not look up. He wanted to finish his thought of this particular recruit's binding kido; the kid showed real promise but would need more work. He finished his sentence, looked up and felt his heart catch in his throat. Standing in the office was Rukia and she was watching him work. She didn't say anything and he wondered what had brought her here.

"Hey, Rukia, what brings you here?" he asked and looked back down, not able to hold her gaze given the thoughts that had been going through his mind prior to her arrival.

"I saw the light and wondered who was in here, you don't usually work this late," she replied.

He smirked and looked back up, "Yeah, I know, I just wanted to get these done before tomorrow. You know your brother; he wants the reports on his desk first thing in the morning. I thought it unlikely that I'd beat him to the office so I decided to get this done tonight. Plus, that way my comments on the recruits are still fresh in my mind."

She nodded as he went back to whatever thought he was writing and waited for him to conclude it. She still didn't know what had brought her this direction tonight. She had been heading back to the manor, lost in her own thoughts when she'd seen the light on in the office. She knew it wasn't ni-sama, she'd seen him talking with Shunsui and Ukitake at the barracks of division 13; though what he would be doing there she couldn't guess. Ni-sama wasn't the friendliest of people so undoubtedly it was business which had taken him there. And so she had continued, half wandering, half headed in a purposeful direction when she's found herself near the office of the division six captain.

Renji finished up and stood from the desk, stacked the papers and walked over to place them on his captain's desk before turning to face her.

"Well, that's done, shall I escort you home?" he asked.

She nodded and they headed toward the door, Renji shutting it behind him after they'd exited. They walked in silence next to each other and Rukia could tell there was still some tension between then, though it had softened since their journey to see their friends. " _I wonder what's going on in that head of his?_ " she thought casting a side-eyed look up to his face. But it was impassive, he was looking straight ahead and either didn't notice her look or was ignoring it. Her own thoughts wandered back to earlier that day when her white haired captain had called her to his office.

 _Rukia walked to the door, slightly apprehensive but for what she didn't know. Ukitake often consulted with her on matters of training and the likes. She was practically his unofficial lieutenant since ni-sama held her back from taking the exam for rank placement. She still didn't understand that. As a Kuchiki she had always imagined he would want her to get ranked as soon as possible, to work her way up to maybe even captain some day. However, ni-sama continued to make odd or unreasonable excuses regarding her limitations and why she wasn't ready. She had momentarily deluded herself into thinking maybe he was concerned for her safety or something but no, it was clear he simply thought she couldn't do it. No matter how much she proved herself over and over again he kept holding her back and she was powerless to do anything about it. Ukitake had ventured to speak to Byakuya about it and had been told without minced words to mind his own business. He had gently pushed, saying it was somewhat his business because Rukia was in his division but her stone cold brother had shut him down completely and told him to stay out of Kuchiki business._

 _These thoughts in her head caused her to frown as she entered his office. She closed the door before bowing her greeting, "You wanted to see me taichou?"_

 _Ukitake was sitting at his desk and replied, "Ah, yes Rukia, thank you for coming so quickly. Please have a seat." He indicated the chair in front of his desk and she sat down obediently._

 _They stared at each other for a moment, Rukia wondering what was on his mind. Usually if it was division business he would just launch right into it but now he was looking at her with soft eyes filled with concern. While he usually had a gentle countenance (save for while in battle) this look startled her. What could possibly be so wrong for him to have that look on his face, those emotions in his eyes?_

 _Clearing his throat he finally spoke, "Rukia, I hope you will forgive my intrusion into your private matters but I am concerned about you."_

 _She hitched her breath and said, "Why? What do you mean taichou?"_

 _Letting go of his breath (had he been holding it?) he continued, "Rukia, I know there is something bothering you, something deeper than normal every day issues of training or work or even family. There is something running very deep in your heart and I was hoping you would talk to me about it. Did you think I did not notice your injury all those weeks ago?"_

 _Her eyes widened, recalling that while sparing with a recruit she had winced when blocking a kick with her arm. She did not know that Ukitake had been watching the fight and saw her check her injury from the fight she'd had with her reflection. However, before he could even more towards her she'd bowed her apologies to the recruit and hurried away. He'd held off forcing the issue but the longer time went on the more he felt he needed to confront her. So he'd summoned her to his office. Doubtless she had presumed his first and second chairs would be there so she'd come without demur and now was sitting his office alone, exactly what she did not want to be with him._

" _Rukia?" he queried bringing her out of her thoughts sharply and she almost gasped._

" _I don't know what you're talking about taichou, I'm fine," she replied, her voice stronger than she felt at this moment._

 _He sighed and closed his eyes. This was going to be harder than he'd hoped._

" _Rukia Kuchiki, please do not lie to me, it insults me," he said with an irritated inflection._

 _She almost recoiled at his words; it was so very rare that he spoke to anyone like this, particularly her._

 _Finally she took a long, deep intake of breath and met his eyes, "I…I don't know what is wrong…I…just know that I feel…"she trailed off and he waited for her to continue._

" _Yes, you feel?" he prompted as the silence prolonged._

" _I feel…hollow," she ended, her eyes brimming with tears that she did not understand._

 _He sat back and continued to watch her asking softly, "How do you mean you feel hollow?"_

" _I don't know, I don't know captain, it's just I've felt withdrawn from everything, from everyone. At first I thought it was shock because of everything that happened with my sentencing and almost execution, then the rescue. I'd barely had time to process any of that when the next enemies attacked and then we were warring with Aizen," her words tumbled out. It was as if the levies of her heart had broken and she was spilling out all her chaotic thoughts in a torrent of words, "and then Ichigo, one of my best friends, died and came back. It just kept piling on and on and on." Her tears were falling now, she couldn't stop them despite the shame they brought her. She hated showing weakness in front of anyone particularly her dear captain._

 _During her flow of speech Ukitake had moved from behind the desk and was kneeling before her where she sat stock still, rigid even in her grief, letting the words and tears continue to pour out of her._

" _And then one day, I just felt nothing. I had this blank feeling in my heart and something almost like white noise in my head. I just couldn't process anything anymore, I felt like a ghost!" she ended emphatically staring into his sympathy filled eyes. And then when she realized all she'd said, how she was behaving, she covered her face with her hands and released a gut wrenching sob so guttural and pain filled that Ukitake flung his arms about her and hugged her tightly. Her hands were still on her face as she sobbed and sobbed, horrified that she was being so weak in front of her captain but unable to pull herself from his warm, comforting embrace. And he held her and held her until her tears were spent._

 _When the worst of it was over he leaned back and pushed her hands from her face but he eyes remained downcast._

" _Rukia, please, look at me," Ukitake said and after she complied he continued, "You are not wrong to feel overwhelmed, you are still so young despite the decades which have passed. You have faced tremendous foes and odds, far more than most of us have ever seen in all our years as shinigami. You should not feel burdened to carry all of this by yourself."_

" _But," she had hiccupped, "I'm a Kuchiki."_

 _His eyes had widened at that statement. So that was why she was this way. He then softened his expression and smoothed her hair before saying, "My dear, even Kuchiki's have hearts."_

 _She had just stared at him after this and had no more words to say._

"Rukia?" Renji's voice made her jump and she looked up at him apprehensively. He raised his eyebrows at her reaction and said, "Um, we're here." She had been so lost in her own recollections that she had no idea they'd reached the front gates of the manor.

Then she punched his shoulder and said, "Oi, don't startle me like that you big baboon."

He frowned but then smirked, "Yeah, ok, like it's my fault you spaced out. Anyway, I'll be going now, have a good night Rukia." And he began walking away but she grabbed his sleeve causing him to turn back and look at her again.

"Walk me to the rock garden." It was not a request, it was a command. He was confused but too tired to argue with her so he merely nodded and fell back into step next to her as they headed towards the desired destination.

They reached it in a matter of minutes and stood looking over the raked sand and boulders set up in a design intended to instill peace and tranquility although that was far from what the pair were feeling as they stood in silence together.

Renji was feeling uncomfortable. He had no idea why Rukia had asked, no commanded, him to accompany her and now was even more unclear on how long he was supposed to stay. He was tired from a long day and had been looking forward to a couple of drinks with some friends over a late dinner and then bed. Now, here he was standing next to the object of his desire, his heart thundering just being near her, not knowing what the hell to do.

"Renji," her soft voice spoke and he started slightly, the sound being completely unexpected, "I need to ask you something."

"Hmmm?" he responded and turned to face her. She still wasn't looking at him, keeping her eyes fixed on the garden in front of them. He hated how she would talk to him without looking at him but he decided to push aside his annoyance and waited for her to continue.

After another beat she turned and actually did face him before speaking again. Eyes meeting his she asked, "What has been going on with you these past few months? You don't seem like yourself."

He was in shock to say the least. He had really believed Rangiku when she'd told him that he would have to be the one to make the first move to clear the air between him and Rukia but here she was, asking him what was wrong and looking like she actually cared. His heart rate increased again as he realized he was standing at the precipice of what he was so afraid of. He was going to tell her the truth.

"Um…well…I," he started intelligently but then reigned himself in and stood up straighter, willing himself to speak the words he had wanted to say for so long. "Rukia, we've been friends a long time and there was a time where we knew everything about each other."

Her eyebrows rose slightly and she nodded, "Yes, I agree."

"Well, there is one thing you don't know about me, one huge, huge thing that I've kept back from you," he continued taking a step close to her. She hitched her breath, finally realizing the implication of the look in his eyes, hearing the tenderness in his voice that sounded so foreign. Without realizing it she took a step back from his advancing one.

He noticed the movement and paused. "What's wrong?" he asked. She was shaking, her fists clenched, and she hardened her gaze as she continued looking at him.

"Do not go on, just shut up now" she said forcefully.

His heart clenched heavily in his chest and then he frowned angrily. "What the hell Rukia, you don't even know what I was going to say, plus you asked!" he said heatedly, his own fists clenching in frustration and…hurt…yes, he was hurt.

"I've decided it better not to know, forget I asked," she replied and turned to go but he shouted to her retreating figured, "Don't you dare walk away from me when I'm trying to tell you I'm in love with you Rukia Kuchiki!" There, it was out in the open and now there was no going back. She stopped dead in her tracks and whirled around to face him. His breath was heaving, eyes blazing, and chest burning and in that moment he was breathtakingly terrifying. She had not seen this level of emotion in him ever.

But her own anger overtook her and she strode up to him, grabbing his clothing to yank him down to her level and smacked his face.

He grabbed her by her shoulders and gazed fiercely into her eyes, "What the hell is wrong with you Rukia? Someone tells you they love you and you attack them? Why did you even ask if you don't give a crap? Huh? What is wrong with you?!" He was shouting, not heeding their surroundings, not remembering that their voices would easily carry to the manor. Before he knew what had hit him he was flung back and slammed against a tree. The next instant he felt a blade on his throat and looked into the cool, terrifying eyes of his captain.

"Abarai, how dare you speak to a Kuchiki in this manner, let alone lay your hands upon my sister with aggression," he growled fiercely. It was the most emotion Renji had ever seen in his captain save for perhaps when they'd successfully rescued Rukia from her execution.

"Taichou," Renji began.

"Silence," Byakuya interrupted him and held him in placed against the tree. Behind them Rukia's eyes were wide with fear. She'd never seen her brother like this before and was really afraid he was going to kill Renji.

Finally he released him to the ground but kept his sword present at his throat.

"You will apologize to her and you will leave, I will deal with you tomorrow," commanded the Kuchiki clan leader.

Renji gulped and nodded after which Byakuya stood back to let him leave.

Renji looked at Rukia standing with her wide, fear-filled eyes and her hands clasped over her mouth. He shook his shoulders slightly and took a step forward to her. Bowing he said, "My sincere apologies Kuchiki-sun," hearing him use her formal name made her heart sear with pain that was unexpected and she clenched her hands to her chest as he continued, "I hope I did not cause you injury. I will take my leave." With that he walked past her, not looking at her, walking with a purposeful gait and exited the garden, her gaze following him.

"Rukia," her brother's voice made her start violently and she turned back to face him. "I trust that I do not have to remind you to stay away from Abarai from now on. Your acquaintanceship with him was barely tolerated but given these new developments you are strictly forbidden to see him. Do I make myself clear?" His voice was hard and dangerous. She had no voice with which to speak and merely nodded her acquiescence but thought to herself, " _What have I done?_ "


	16. Chapter 16 - A New Horizon

**Author's note: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter. I know, it's sad and we're kind of back to angst coming back in this story . Here we may have some OOC for Uryu but I don't know. He always struck me as willing to go a little out of his way for Orihime so hopefully how I have presented him here will be well accepted. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 16 – "A New Horizon"

Orihime had just finished with her workout and decided it was time to get her grocery shopping done. She was surprised how much she craved healthy foods now. Fruits and vegetables, without her usual additions of odd sauces or spices, were now some of her favorite things to eat. She had just reached the market and was about to go inside when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Hey, Inoue," she heard the deep baritone say.

She looked over and saw Ichigo walking up to her and smiled a welcome to him.

They had made up after the sparring incident when Ichigo had come to her the next day and apologized. She still couldn't believe he'd actually done that, normally he didn't apologize for anything and so far he'd done it twice in the span of six months!

" _While I may not like the idea I don't really have a say in the matter, it's your decision Inoue and if you want to better yourself in this area of your life, well, I should have been more supportive. Can you please forgive me?"_

The memory of his apology played over in her mind and she smiled brighter. They'd never had much friction between the two of them so it was a new experience.

"Hai, Kurosaki-kun," she returned and waved.

"Doing your shopping?" he asked.

"Yes, need to keep my strength up you know," she replied and curled her arm up to show her bicep. The funny thing was she actually had definition there now and it did not go unnoticed by Ichigo.

He realized he was staring and shook his head, "Uh, me too, Yuzu sent me down here for some things. Mind if I shop with you?"

"Of course not!"

The two friends went into the market together and walked up and down the aisles gathering their various items. After completing their purchases they started walking back towards Orihime's. They reached the stairs and before she could say goodbye Ichigo said, "Would you like to come over for lunch? Maybe you can tell me more about your training."

She blinked her surprise at him. Was he really asking her to eat with him and showing interest in what she already knew he wasn't that crazy about? "Oh, um..I.."she stuttered and got irritated with herself. Why couldn't she form a coherent sentence around him? Sure, she harbored an unrequited love for him but surely she should be able to speak? She tried again and said, "Are you sure?"

Ichigo raised his eyebrows and answered, "Am I sure? Of course, why wouldn't I be?" 

"Well, I don't want to be a bother," she replied before she'd thought it through. " _There I go again,"_ she thought and hoped she hadn't blown it.

"Inoue, you don't bother me, if I didn't want you to come over I wouldn't have asked. Come on, let's get your groceries put away and head to my place."

Without further argument she went upstairs, unlocked her door and quickly put away the groceries. He had waited for her by the door and they headed back down the stairs together when she'd finished.

They had reached his house and walked in only for Isshin to come flying down the stairs. Ichigo grabbed Orihime to move her out of the way and his father flew out the door. Turning quickly with her still in his arm he slammed and locked the door.

"Oi, you stupid old man, you almost killed Inoue!" he shouted at the door as he released his grip on her.

She was flushed and her heart was racing, both from the surprise of Isshin's attack and at Ichigo holding her that close to himself. This time she was thankful for his actions, she surely would have been decimated by the flying attack of the older Kurosaki.

Banging on the door Isshin cried, "Oh my son is so very mean to his loving father, let me in!"

"No you crazy fool!" shouted Ichigo and rubbed his forehead.

Turning to Orihime he said, "Sorry, about that, one of these days I'm going to lock him in an insane asylum myself."

She giggled and said, "Oooo, that could be so fun for him! He could bounce off the walls as much as he wanted and not get hurt!"

Ichigo smiled at the image of such a scene playing out in his mind.

"Come on, we'll get some food and go upstairs so we can get away from the old man," Ichigo said and turned to the kitchen. He gathered up supplies and made them both sandwiches. Grabbing chips and drinks from the pantry and fridge he turned back to Orihime and said as he handed her the plate, "I know it doesn't have all the, um, interesting condiments on it that you usually prefer but I hope it is passable."

"Oh no, this is fine, thank you Kurosaki-kun," she responded with her huge bright smile.

"Good, come on then," he said and she followed him up the stairs to his bedroom. They walked in and he indicated to her that she could have his desk chair while he sat down on the floor. They talked briefly while they ate, mostly Orihime elaborating on her training and Ichigo offering advice.

Orihime, having finished her sandwich, turned in the chair and threw her gaze around the room. As she made her third turn on the chair she happened to look down at Ichigo's desk and saw a very official looking piece of mail on it.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun, did you see this? It looks important," she asked as she picked it up and handed it to him. She had not read the address feeling it would be rude to do so. He took it from her hand and when he'd read the sender's address his eyes widened slightly.

Seeing his expression change she asked, "Kurosaki-kun, is everything alright?"

He didn't answer but instead tore open the envelope and read the contents of the letter. His eyes widened even more and she saw the faintest traces of a smile on his lips. Obviously it was not bad news for which she was glad. As much as she thought Ichigo's scowl was cute his smile was amazing, even the small almost non-existent ones.

"Kurosaki-kun?" she asked again and his eyes flew up to her face. It was almost as if he'd forgotten she was there.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sorry Inoue, sorry, I was just surprised I received word so fast. I thought for sure it had been too late to apply but I guess I was wrong," he answered and when her face set in further confusion he continued, "This is a letter of acceptance to a university in Tokyo. I'll be starting there next month."

Her heart came to a screeching halt as she took in his words. " _Tokyo? He's leaving Karakura?_ " she thought and struggled not to burst into tears. Of course he would be leaving, the new Soul Reaper had made it possible for Ichigo to focus on his own life rather than slaying hollows. Orihime chastised herself as she remembered it was her suggestion which had sent Yoruichi back to Soul Society to speak on Ichigo's behalf to the head captain regarding them stationing someone here. She should be happy for him, should be glad he heeded the advice of her sensei to go out and live his life but for some reason it never occurred to her what that really meant. For him to move forward in his life, he was moving away! Moving away from the high spiritual town, moving away from his family, moving away from… her.

She still had not spoken and had no idea of the expression on her face but thankfully after he'd answered her Ichigo had looked back down to the letter and enclosed schedule of his classes so whatever her face looked like at the moment he was not seeing it. " _Say something,_ " she screamed in her head, " _Say something, say something!_ "

"I'm so happy for Kurosaki-kun, this is exciting news!" she finally got her brain to construct a positive sentence even though her insides were twisted with pain and misery. Her smile, the one she'd used for situations like this so much it was second nature to her, was perfect.

He looked back up to her at her words and she saw a true smile on this face. It was glorious. "I have you to thank for it."

"Huh? What do you mean?" 

"Well, I ran into Yoruichi the night I first met Kano and she told me you were the one who asked her to go to the head captain and speak to him about getting a new Soul Reaper here. So far he's pulled his weight and then some so I can leave with peace of mind that the town and my family and friends will be safe."

She nodded her head, not trusting her voice to work at this point. She'd dug her own grave of despair; her desire to help him had brought about the destruction of her own soul. She knew she was being irrational but the shock of his leaving and leaving soon had sent her emotions into a tailspin. She marveled that she was able to hold herself together at all.

"You're….you're welcome Kurosaki-kun, you know me, always happy to help!"

" _I need to get out of here, the air is too hot, I can't breathe,_ " she thought to herself, trying desperately to think of an excuse to get away.

"Well, thank you for the lunch, I will leave you to share your happy news with your family," she said brightly and all but bolted for the door.

Ichigo watched her leave, his face furrowing into a look of confusion. Orihime had run out like she was shot from a cannon. Shrugging he stood and gathered their plates to head back downstairs and tell his family the news.

Isshin cried and hugged the poster of Masaki exclaiming how proud he was that their son was becoming a man of the world. Yuzu cried because she never wanted him to leave their home. Karin simply smiled and said, "It's about time you got out of here." He smirked at her, she was so much like him sometimes it was scary.

Orihime had run all the way home, her tears flowing freely. She was gasping for breath when she finally reached her door and was fumbling to get her key in the lock when she heard a voice behind her say, "Inoue?"

She turned and saw Uryu standing at the base of her stairs, a look of concern on his face.

"Oh…hel…hello Ishida-kun, what brings you…here?" she said through her gasps despite knowing he could see her tear stains, heard the distress in her voice. Not answering, his look of concern set to something of sympathy. He strode up the stairs and still not speaking took the key from her hand. Passing her he unlocked the door and ushered her inside before shutting it and turning back to her.

"Inoue, I felt the despair in your spiritual pressure from the market, I thought you were being pursued by an enemy by the level of fear and anxiety I felt coming from you. What on earth happened?" he said in answer to the question in her tear filled eyes.

Unable to form words she simply launched herself into his arms and sobbed bitterly. He staggered back at the force of her embrace, startled at the vehemence of her tears. Slowly he raised his arms and hugged her back. She was shaking so hard it was hard to hold her. Not really knowing what else to do he made a split second decision to pick her up in a cradle and sat down on the couch. With her arms encircled about his shoulders and her face buried into the crook of his neck he held her while she cried, stroking her hair in an effort to get her to calm down.

" _At this rate she'll start to hyperventilate, I wonder if I should take her to the hospital or clinic to sedate her?"_ he thought still holding her gently. He had not seen this level of grief from his sweet friend since Kurosaki's initial defeat against Ulquiorra and it was scary to see again, particularly because he had no idea what was causing it. Although when he thought again he figured this had to do with Kurosaki in some way. Very little else could affect the healer like that idiot. How he still could not see how much this girl loved him was beyond Uryu's understanding.

"Inoue," he said in her ear, hoping his words would reach her before she made herself pass out, "what happened? Please tell me, maybe I can help?"

She inhaled a shaking, ragged breath and shook her head before choking out, "No, no Ishida-kun, no one can help this, it's not something that should be helped, I'm just a fool, I'm such a fool!"

The intensity of her answer gave him pause and he slowly used his strength to pull her up and look at his face. "Inoue, please talk to me."

When her eyes met his she was suddenly very aware of their proximity and blushed feverishly. She leapt up from his lap and almost fell over the coffee table in her haste but he grabbed her wrists and tugged her back, swinging her slightly so she landed on the couch next to him. He released her immediately once she was secure in her seat and looked at her face.

"I'm so sorry, Ishida-kun, I'm so embarrassed, I'm sorry that I attacked you," she said miserably.

He couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips at her apology. " _She's so ridiculous sometimes,"_ he thought and shook his head.

"Inoue, you're fine, you are in shock, it's ok, I don't mind being here for you," he replied gently.

She looked in his eyes and saw nothing but acceptance and concern for her and she smiled a little in return.

"That's better. Now then," his tone returned to his usual coolness, "What happened to send you into such a state of grief? Is it Kurosaki? Did he do something to hurt you?"

She gasped and her eyes went wide. He smirked at her reaction and said, "Inoue, did you really think I was not aware of your affections for that moron? Now, come on, tell me what happened."

Her eyes reverted to the floor and she sat silent for a moment. Taking a deep breath she spoke, but still unable to look at Uryu, "I…I found out today that Kurosaki-kun…is….is leaving for Tokyo."

Uryu's eyebrows lifted slightly at this information but the simple sentence told him all needed to know about her current condition.

"I see," he said while exhaling his breath, "but Inoue, you know just because he's going to Tokyo doesn't mean you'll never see him again right? I mean, he died and came back, because of you. Do you really think he's just going to take off and forget about you? About all of us? Do you not have more faith in him than that?"

Hearing him speak so logically about the whole situation made Orihime all the more ashamed of her actions. Of course she knew that! But the shock of him not being _here_ had driven her to the darkest places o f her mind and she wasn't thinking clearly.

She inhaled a deep breath and shook her head, "No, you're right Ishida-kun, I know I was being dramatic. I'm so sorry for my behavior." Turning to him she met his eyes and said, "Thank you for being there for me, even when I was so stupid."

"You weren't stupid Inoue, like I said before, you were in shock and shock causes us to do things beyond our control sometimes. I'm glad I was here."

She smiled a true smile then and he returned it.

"So, Kurosaki is actually taking a real step forward then? Good for him, good for all of us I think." 

"How is it good for all of us?" she questioned him.

"Well, we've all been so focused on fighting and training and keeping this town from falling apart that it's left very little time and energy for us to be our own people. To _live_ our lives. I'm planning on going to medical school you know, I hadn't really talked about it because of all that was going on but those are my plans. What are you planning on? Isn't there something beyond the borders of this town that you want for yourself?"

She paused to reflect on his question, suddenly very aware that what he said was true. She had spent so much time focusing on her supernatural life she had completely forgotten to keep tabs on her real life. Her thoughts flew back to her conversation with Tatsuki before they had graduated and couldn't believe she'd forgotten about it for so long and here was the result of her neglect to deal with those conflictions. Although, the longer she thought about it, she guessed that at some point she had unconsciously decided to focus on the supernatural rather than the real. After all, she worked a part time job but trained practically full time. And for what? She felt foolish again and her face fell.

Uryu had been waiting for her answer and frowned at her crestfallen face. "Hey," he said and she looked at him, "What's going on up there? Talk to me, don't wallow, you're too mean to yourself."

She shook her head and sighed, "Sorry, I was just thinking about all the time I've been wasting with my training. It's almost like too little too late. What have I been hoping to accomplish? It seems no matter what I do I'm wasting my time."

He widened his eyes at her confession and he said slowly, "Inoue, your efforts have not been wasted. You've always been a great asset to our team and are even more so now with your increased skills. Being prepared for the worst is fine, we are lucky to have someone like you on our side. You are so self-critical you've failed to see all the other positives that have come from your training. You are more confident, capable and strong and you've gained new respect from our allies. Maybe now it's time to take those newfound qualities and apply them to new adventures. You have already proven you can do so much in the supernatural world there's nothing you can't do in the real one."

His words struck a chord within Orihime's very soul and she was speechless. Uryu and she had become fast friends, the Quincy willing to put his life on the line for her as much as she was willing to do for him but she had never heard him expose his deepest reflections like this before. It showed her again how much his care of her went and she smiled her biggest smile since his arrival.

"You're right Ishida-kun, I can do something different, I can keep changing myself for the better. Thank you so much for your words. You know," she leaned in to hug him as she said, "I just realized how much you are like Sora to me. Thank you."

Uryu was taken aback by her compliment and hugged her back.

He leaned back again and said, "OK then, let's move forward shall we?"

She smiled and shook her head emphatically, finding herself excited at the prospect of what was to come because for once it looked like the horizon held the dawning of a new day instead of the coming of the night.

A week later her sunny outlook was struggling to be maintained as she realized that each passing day seemed to be going by faster than the previous, all speeding towards Ichigo leaving Karakura. The school he was accepted at was Tokyo Medical University which was a surprise to his friends, they never thought he'd actually want to follow in his father's footsteps. Also, it was the same university Uryu was attending.

"And here I thought I was finally going to be rid of you," Uryu had said when he found out.

Ichigo had frowned and said, "Whatever Ishida, you know you'd have missed me."

"Unlikely," came his reply and Ichigo snorted.

Orihime smiled at their banter and then looked at Chad.

"Chado-kun, where are you going to school next?" she asked.

The big man replied lowly, "I'm actually going back to Mexico for six months and then will be attending one of the community colleges in Tokyo. What are you doing Inoue?"

"I don't really know yet, I didn't have a real game plan before graduating so I'm still figuring things out," she answered softly.

"Nothing wrong with that," Ichigo piped in seeing her downcast face.

"Indeed, you have freedom to literally do whatever you want to do Inoue," Uryu added.

Chad flashed a thumbs up in agreement with the other two men.

She smiled at their encouragement and the four friends kept talking about their future endeavors.

Another two weeks flew by and they were out with all their friends they'd graduated with catching up and hearing of everyone's plans. Tatsuki had qualified to join a martial arts team that traveled and competed professionally. Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru all stated their intension to attend the local community college in Karakura Town and would move on to university afterwards.

Still another week went by and soon it was a matter of days before Ichigo and Uryu would be leaving for Tokyo. Both had packed up belongings they were taking with them and shipped them ahead of time so that they would be waiting in their rooms when they got there.

Finally the day of departure arrived and everyone turned out to say goodbye. The substitute shinigami and Quincy stood on a platform at the train station with their friends and Ichigo's family as they waited for the announcement to board the train. Everyone was talking, wishing them luck, telling them to write or call, to not forget about them, that they would see them soon.

Orihime was quiet, unable to bring herself to join in the excitement tinged with sadness. She was staring off into space looking down the tracks when she felt someone in front of her. Turning her head she saw it was Isshin Kurosaki.

"You doing alright?" he asked, knowing full well she wasn't but having the heart to ask anyway.

She simply shook her head, fighting the tears.

"Don't worry Inoue, after orientation and the first three weeks of class there is a family week where we can all go visit them and see the school, the dorms, all that stuff."

She started to smile but then stopped, frowning slightly.

"Well, that sounds nice Kurosaki-san, but I don't think I can afford a train ticket. I'm only working part time and everything I have goes to rent and bills."

He smiled as he handed her an envelope.

She looked down and opened the flap, her eyes getting very wide. Inside was a pre-purchased ticket dated 4 weeks away.

"Oh, I can't accept this, it's too much!" she protested shaking her head violently.

"Oi, stop making a fuss," Ichigo said hearing her commotion, "We want you to come so you're coming, no arguments."

Her eyes had turned to him and saw him smirk as he finished and then looked back to Isshin.

"He and I discussed it last week and wanted to surprise you, so please, make sure you're on the train with us. Both those boys won't know what to do with themselves without you around. I know Ichigo won't say it but he's going to miss you," he said with kind eyes. "You've become a part of our family Inoue and it would be wrong for you not to be there. Chad-o is coming too, so you'll have a little reunion before you know it."

Now she was crying but they were happy tears and she hugged the elder Kurosaki with all her gratitude. He laughed and hugged her back before letting her go to say goodbye to her two friends as the announcement for boarding boomed over the loud speakers.

Orihime walked up to Uryu and hugged him tightly saying, "Goodbye for now, Ishida-kun, I'll see you in a month during the family week." He hugged her back and then stepped away to shake hands with some of their other friends.

Ichigo had just gotten through saying goodbye to his family and was approaching her.

He smiled his smile given only to her and she did everything she could to make herself meet his eyes as he said, "Well, Inoue, this is it, at least for now. I'm glad you're coming to visit us next month."

"Me too, Kurosaki-kun, and thank you again for the generous gift," she replied.

They stood looking at each other for a moment longer before Ichigo was pushed forward by his father.

"Hug her goodbye you fool," he said. Ichigo turned to scowl at him but then turned back to Orihime and looked down at her. He held his arms out a little and she stepped into them encircling her arms around his waist. He placed his arms down around behind her shoulders on her back and they hugged for a moment. Knowing he had to go Orihime pulled back and then looking up into his eyes she did something she never thought she'd ever have the guts to do. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, whispering in his ear, "Goodbye Kurosaki-kun, I'll miss you," before pulling back and rushing past him to stand with his sisters. He stood stunned for a moment but was called back to himself when Uryu yelled he was going to miss the train as it started moving. He ran forward and jumped on, turning back in the door way to watch as his family, friends and town grew smaller and smaller as the train left Karakura. They were all waving and smirking he allowed himself a small wave before ducking into the train.

Sitting down next to Uryu he looked out the window and touched his cheek where Orihime had kissed him, smiling to himself.


	17. Chapter 17 - There Goes the Neighborhood

**Author's Note: Thanks to Chuain for your message, your thoughts helped me a lot and I appreciate you taking the time to share them with me. Thanks also to those who reviewed thus far; I appreciate the words of encouragement to continue with this story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 17 – "There Goes the Neighborhood"

The weeks following Ichigo and Uryu's departure became chaotic to say the least. Almost every night there was a hollow attack and Kano was finding it bewildering. The first few times he had dispatched the hollows without too much trouble but the number of attacks and hollows involved were increasing. Worst yet was there was seemingly no reason for it. The majority of the highly spiritually powerful had dwindled with the exit of Orihime's friends and there were not an abnormal amount of restless spirits. " _What the hell is going on?"_ Kano thought after his latest battle with four hollows, the largest grouping so far.

A few days after Kano's latest large hollow encounter Orihime found herself walking home from the library a little later than she had intended. While she felt more able to protect herself now thanks to her training it was no reason to invite trouble. Karakura Town wasn't exactly a hot bed of crime but it had its fair share of the shady not to mention the increasing hollow attacks. Kano had advised her to stay away even though truth be told Orihime felt more capable to defend herself against a hollow than a human since she could use her powers without drawing too much attention given the streets were usually empty at the hours the hollows hunted. She had tried not to stay out too late because of the increase in hollow sightings (sometimes with no attacks) but had lost track of time when perusing the bookshelves at the library.

Walking more quickly with the books she'd borrowed clenched tightly to her chest she made her way home. She arrived with no issues and made it to her door. As she entered and turned to set the deadbolt in place she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. " _What is wrong with me_?" she thought as she placed the books on the kitchen table and made her way into the kitchen to brew some tea. She finished brewing, grabbed a book from the stack and curled up on the couch, looking forward to reading one of the new mystery novels she'd borrowed. A low rumble in the distance signaled the oncoming of a storm and she smiled with trepidation. " _Well, at least the weather is helping set the tone for my reading,_ " she thought with a little giggle to herself. Her friends never could understand her obsession with mystery and horror media, especially given all the horror they'd witnessed in real life. She just couldn't help it, she loved the suspense and would sometimes read the same stories over and over even when she knew what was going to happen.

Grabbing the blanket on the back of the couch she tucked her feet under it and began to read. It was good from the start and soon she was reading more quickly, eyes wide, holding her breath and trembling slightly. " _This is a really good one,_ " she thought turning another page as she sipped her tea. A large flash of lightning and huge clap of thunder almost had her dropping the tea cup and she set it down quickly, breath caught in her throat at the suddenness of the explosion. Another flash and another, each seeming brighter than the last lit up the windows, the thunder booming seemingly right over her apartment. By now the rain was pelting down with aggression, driven by a frightful wind that felt as though it were begging entrance to her warm abode. Despite her love of thunder storms and rain this was turning into a bit much even for Orihime. She couldn't concentrate on the story anymore and instead found herself curled into a ball on the couch, clasping her hands to her ears to try to deaden the booming thunder overhead.

It carried on for a while until the worst of it died away and the thunder peals sounded farther away. She could still hear them but they were not as dominant. Slowly lifting her head she realized she heard another sound being carried on the wind but it was hard to distinguish because of the wind itself and the continually pelting rain. Getting up from her position on the couch she made her way to her door and stood in front of it. For a moment she felt like the silly characters in her books and movies that inexplicably move towards danger rather than away from it but she couldn't stop herself. She slowly unlocked the door and opened it to look out into the stormy night. Then she heard clearly what had seemed so muffled before. The shrieks and bellows of multiple hollows. The amount of noise and pitches which she was hearing could not come from one or even two of them. She wasn't sure how many but she knew this was bad.

" _Mistress, it's too dangerous, let the shinigami handle this,"_ she heard Ayame say in her head.

"But he could need help! Ichigo and Uryu aren't here and Chad's already left for Mexico, there's no one else to help him if he needs it," she said firmly though her heart was pounding in her chest.

" _Go get Urahara-san or Yoruichi-sensei, surely they will help will they not?"_ this from Hinagiku.

"There's no time, the sounds are coming from the opposite direction of the shop, I have to go and see if I can help. Tsubaki, you ready for this? 

" _Who do you think you're talking to girl?! Of course I'm ready, let's go!"_ shouted the impatient sprite.

"Ok then, here we go," Orihime said and ran out the door into the freezing rain towards the roar of the enemy. Her heart was pounding and her lungs burned but she found that because of her training her stamina was the best it had been in her whole life. She increased her speed, trying desperately to get to Kano in case he was in trouble. He'd become a friend to her before the boys' departure and more so after, checking in on her during his nightly rounds. Always respectful and kind, always making sure to see her and keep her company if he could during his "off" time (which was not often).

The roars were getting louder and she could feel the spirit pressures rising. She felt Kano but he seemed weakened, probably exhausted from fighting not only the hollows but the weather. Her own clothes were feeling weighed down so she couldn't imagine how he felt in his shihakusho's heavy robes. Skirting around a corner Orihime's eyes finally made contact with her targets and she was right. They were huge and there were many of them. From her first glance she saw at least four with a fifth hiding somewhere, each of their reiatsu's different, each horrific, each bearing down on the lone shinigami as he fought valiantly to drive them back and dispatch them.

Orihime sized up the situation and Kano's position, deciding to take on the hollow farthest back to his right. "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" she shouted and Tsubaki flew into action coursing a line straight for her intended target. The hollows had just turned to her direction when they heard her shout and Tsubaki made direct contact with his target's mask dead in the middle of the forehead. The creature screamed as a crack formed then widened, the mask falling away and Tsubaki making his way all the way through his head causing him to disappear with a scream of fury. Kano didn't even have time to thank her before the next attack came at him. He dodged and sliced at the offending hollow, catching his arm but not making contact with his mask.

Orihime continued to watch the battle looking for her next target when she felt her legs wrapped by what felt like a whip. She'd failed to see or feel the fifth hollow until it was too late. She was pulled off her feet and was being dragged towards the horrendous creature as he cackled, "Ahhhhh, so you've come out, we've been looking for you little girl, and I'm the one who caught you!" Orihime stared at him with a mix of fear and anger, trying to get her emotions under control so she could fight back.

"Miss Inoue, hold on!" she heard Kano yell but his path was blocked over and over by the other hollows and he had to keep dodging around them. Every time he seemed to make headway they would connect with him and he'd fly backwards. He kept fighting, struggling with everything he had to reach her but it wasn't working.

"Koten Zanshun, I reject!" yelled Orihime and directed Tsubaki towards the hollow currently with his tentacle (not whip) wrapped around her legs but he somehow dodged and she kept inching towards him. Fear was winning out over her resolve as she began to thrash, trying to get away from him but her legs were firmly held. She closed her eyes, not wanting to give up but her fear was too strong to send Tsubaki back out again, he'd just end up getting hurt. Suddenly her eyes flew open at the sound of an ear shattering scream and saw that the tentacle had been sliced through. She quickly regained what sense she had left and unwound the remainder of the appendage from her legs and stood up.

"You idiots, why did you let him through?" screamed the hollow in front of her.

But looking up both saw that Kano was still dealing with the hollows in front of him, now down to two because he'd finally made contact with one of the masks, shattering it. Looking back up in front of her Orihime saw her savior: Urahara. Her heart leapt when she saw him and she smiled in spite of the present danger.

"Naughty, naughty," he murmured to the injured hollow, dropping down between it and Orihime, "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to trip people?" His voice was slick with sarcasm and Orihime had never been more glad to hear his voice.

"Shut up you bastard, I'm going to kill you!" shouted the hollow in retaliation and made for him with surprising swiftness. Orihime cried out, "Santen Kesshun, I reject!" and her shield blocked the attack from reaching Urahara.

"Thank you Inoue, allow me to finish this monster off," he said and as she dropped her shield he flung down his zanpakuto effectively destroying the hollow.

By this time Kano was down to one hollow and found himself chasing it as it was retreating. It rose up in the air and tore a hole in the sky, lunging through it and snapping it shut. Kano had just missed making it through in pursuit. "Better you missed the doorway young man, I doubt you'd want to find yourself in Hueco Mundo all by your lonesome," Urahara yelled to the frustrated shinigami. Kano shuttered at the thought as he made his way back to Orihime to make sure she was alright.

"Miss Inoue, I am so sorry I was not able to protect you," he said bowing low before her but then his ability to remain upright failed and he fell forward. Orihime caught him and laid him down.

"Oh Kano, you're bleeding horribly," she exclaimed, "Soten Kishun, I reject." Her golden dome of healing descended upon him and began working its magic on the nasty wounds to his arms and torso. He'd lost a lot of blood due to his frantic efforts to reach Orihime. "I'm sorry I was not of more help to you," she murmured as he healed.

"No, this is not your responsibility, you should not have come, but I thank you that you did. Without you I would most likely be dead," he sighed between heavy breaths.

"Hush now, rest and do not speak, you'll be right as…well rain soon enough," Orihime replied with an ironic smile.

After Kano had been completely healed Orihime insisted he return with her to her home to get dry and warmed up and to also rest more. The battle had been fearsome and though her healing had done its job he still needed rest. Before he could protest Urahara pronounced, "Go with her shinigami Kano, I will take up your vigil, though I doubt we will have much company again tonight."

Sputtering his thanks Kano rose to his feet and offered to shunpo Orihime with him to her home to get out of the rain faster. "Are you sure you are up to that?" she asked and once he nodded she did not protest further for fear of hurting his pride. The poor guy already felt bad enough that he'd been unable to rescue her without help; the least he could do was get her home faster than walking. So Orihime climbed onto his back and away they went.

Upon arrival they entered her dwelling and made for the kitchen. Kano sat down heavily on one of the chairs while Orihime started water boiling. Without a word she hurried to her bathroom to take a quick warm shower to melt the frigidness from her limbs and threw on sweats. She gathered similar garments of the male variety from her brother's belongings and left them in the bathroom with a fresh towel. Coming back out she said to Kano, "Now, go in the bathroom and take a hot shower to warm up. There are fresh clothes you can put on so that you can hang up your shihakusho to dry." He made motion to protest but a look at her eyes told him it was fruitless to argue. Bowing his thanks he did as he was told and by the time he'd come back out there was fresh hot tea and biscuits waiting for him.

"You really are too kind to me," Kano said sipping the welcomed tea and he relished in the warm sensation it brought to his innards as it flowed down his throat to his stomach. It tasted of lemon and honey and was one of the most glorious things he'd tasted since arriving in Karakura. He told Orihime this and she blushed slightly when replying, "Oh it's nothing, just a simple recipe to help offset a possibility of illness." They spent the moments enjoying their tea and biscuits in silence after which Orihime insisted he sleep on her couch. Once settled in she headed to her room for some much needed sleep.

The next day she found Kano had already cleared out before she'd gotten up but not before he'd cleaned up all the water left over from their rapid entrance during the night and the dishes used for the tea and biscuits. He'd left a hurried note thanking her again but saying he had been summoned so could not wait until she had awoken to thank her in person.

"I hope he's not in trouble, it's not his fault this town is going crazy," she said out loud after she's finished the note. As she began getting ready for her day there was a knock at her door. Hurrying forward she opened it to reveal Jinta. "Hi Jinta, what brings you here today?" Orihime asked cheerfully.

"The crazy man wants a word with you," the red-haired pre-teen replied and without another word turned to go down the stairs.

" _Someone really needs to treat this boy some manners_ ," thought Orhime as she grabbed her keys, locked the door and followed him. They walked in silence to the shop, Jinta opening the door for her and gesturing the direction she was to go from there. She walked towards Urahara's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," she heard from the other side and opening the door found Urahara, Tessai and Yoruichi before her.

"Ah, Inoue, thank you for coming on such short notice, I appreciate your promptness," Kisuke said lowering his hat over his eyes.

"Good morning Urahara- san, Yoruichi-sensei, Tessai, "replied Orihime bowing to each respectfully.

"Please, have a seat Orihime," said Yoruichi indicating the chair in front of the desk. She sat obediently and waited to one of them to tell her why she was here.

"Inoue, as you know there has been an alarming amount of hollow attacks in the past couple weeks," Urahara began. After she'd nodded he continued, "This is especially odd considering those who the hollows would be attracted to because of their spiritual pressures are no longer here. We know Uryu was well trained in suppressing his while Ichigo though challenged was mildly capable in that area. Chad-o and you also have done well with learning to decrease your reiatsu so as not to call undue attention to yourselves." She nodded again, not sure where he was going with this. After a moment he continued, "So, therefore we must pursue a new conclusion for this rather unfortunate development."

Again he stopped and Orihime asked, "And what conclusion would that be?"

He looked up and said, "Oh really, Inoue, I would have thought you'd guessed by now?"

His tone wasn't exactly threatening but Orihime didn't like it all the same. She stared at him, trying to meet his eyes but he kept them hooded with his hat as he was so apt to do when he was trying to be mysterious or sneaky. Another moment passed and then Yoruichi smacked his head saying, "Oi, just tell her already!"

He rubbed the spot she'd hit and turned his attention back to Orihime.

"Inoue, I'm not sure you remember during this last encounter where you were so kind to assist Kano, but one of the hollows let slip the vital clue we'd been missing all these weeks. Do you remember?"

She shook her head, unclear of his point.

Sighing he finally lifted his head high enough that his eyes reached hers and said, "He said they were looking for you."

Ice water ran through her veins as Orihime absorbed his words. Then thinking back to the fight she realized he was right. She'd been so afraid once she'd been caught she didn't realize she'd heard those words, much less that Kisuke had been near enough at the time to hear them too.

Eye widening, she said softly, "Why? Why are they looking for me?" 

"That we do not as yet know but since this is becoming a bigger issue than we'd hoped we have some safety precautions and temporary solution until we can get to the bottom of why these hollows are pursuing you," Kisuke answered.

"And those would be?" Kisuke smiled at her courageous tone, she was trying very hard to push her fear down.

"First, we will place a power inhibitor charm on you, something that will decrease your power profile even more so you don't have to use so much energy to push it down yourself. Since you've been training it's been increasing which is good while in battle but potentially harmful if you are not reducing it enough. Second, we need to get you out of Karakura. As this is your last known location after we put the inhibitor on you it will be increasingly difficult to find you. Third, we will have a bodyguard assigned to you to keep you safe should the other two precautions fail."

Orihime sat still taking in all that had just been said. It's true, she had been thinking about leaving Karakura at some point but she had nowhere to go. As this thought entered her mind she opened her mouth to speak but Kisuke interrupted saying, "Oh, I forgot to mention, in gratitude for all your help (and I'm sure more selfish reasons they are not releasing) Soul Society had offered a shinigami safe house as refuge for you during this time, so you will not need to worry about where to stay."

"And this safe house, where is it?"

"I think you're going to like this one," he teased, "it's in Tokyo."

Orihime's eyes widened and she blushed furiously. She was surprised at her reaction because for a while now she'd actually gotten used to Ichigo being gone but now with the prospect of being near him again and on a semi-permanent basis her emotions flared up to the surface and she couldn't hide her elation. She smiled brightly through her blush and said, "Oh my, really? Do the boys know anything about this yet?"

"No, for now we have not informed them of the goings on here, it would have most likely caused them to both return but we wanted them free to live their lives as best they can," Yoruichi answered.

"But will I be able to tell them, will I be able to see them?" Orihime asked softly.

"I find it doubtful that this will be able to be kept from those two once they know you're in town not just on a visit and where you are staying," Tessai replied.

She nodded, smiling again at the prospect of being with her closest friends (and crush) again.

"Oh, I forgot to ask, who is going to be my bodyguard? You?" she asked looking at Yoruichi.

"As much as I would love to be, no, there is an official shinigami being assigned here." 

"Is it Kano? I'd much rather be with someone I already know if possible," Orihime boldly requested.

"No, Kano will be staying here, but I am sure you will have no objections to whose been assigned to you," Kisuke replied.

"Who is it?"

A gong sounded and Kisuke smiled, "Ah, it appears he has arrived, come Inoue, you'll get to see for yourself now."

She followed the three of them to the Senkaimon door waiting for it to open. A beam of light shot out and the doors slowly opened. She saw the outline of a very tall man stepping through, but she couldn't see his face yet. As he stepped clear of the light she gasped and then ran forward to hug the newcomer.

"Renji!" she exclaimed in delight and threw her arms around his neck. He was startled but then smiled lightly and patted her back.

"Hey Inoue, good to see you too."

 **Author's note: Before anyone gets up in arms about a lieutenant being sent to be a bodyguard wait for the next chapter, you'll see why. Hopefully readers are still enjoying this story, I welcome reviews and comments of encouragement or constructive criticism.**


	18. Chapter 18 - Unexpected Beauty

**Author's Note: Thanks for those chiming in that they are enjoying this story. It's turning out longer than I thought because writing what I see in my head takes a lot more time and words than I imagined. This is a bit of a longer chapter as I'm trying not to leave each one on a cliff hanger, but there is just a lot to cover for the flow to feel right to me. So bear with me as the saga continues.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 18 - "Unexpected Beauty"

Orihime released Renji and stood back with a beaming smile. He had to admit, it wasn't half bad having that much joy directed at him.

"I can't believe you're my body guard!" she exclaimed happily clapping her hands excitedly.

"Yeah, glad to be here Inoue," he said and then moving his eyes to Urahara he said, "My orders were to help Inoue gather whatever belongings she wants to take and head straight to the safe house. Do you have the power inhibitor ready?"

Kisuke nodded and flicked his finger in a crook as a signal to follow him.

Orihime and Renji did as beckoned and followed him back to his office. Kisuke went to his stash and pulled out a ring with a crest on it. Giving it to Orihime he said, "Ok, this is to never leave your person for any reason, understand? It is specially geared to your reiatsu." Taking it she placed it on her finger, looked up and asked, "Well, is it working?" Kisuke and Renji both nodded having felt her spiritual pressure drop significantly.

"That's a handy trick. I don't suppose you have another one of those lying around do you?" Renji asked, not looking forward to efforts it was going to take him to suppress his own reiatsu.

"As a matter of fact, once I heard you were to grace us with your presence I took the liberty of making you one as well. Can't have you wearing thin by having to control your own pressure for even a temporary infinite amount of time now can we?" smirked the shop keeper as he handed Renji his own ring.

"You realize a temporary infinity is an oxymoron right?" Renji muttered but smiled his thanks and slipped the ring on. Looking at Kisuke he raised his eyebrows in an unspoken, " _Well?_ " to which the man whom the gaze was directed nodded.

"Oh wow Abarai-san, your pressures is so low!" exclaimed Orihime.

He cocked an eyebrow at her and smiling slightly said, "What's with the renewed formality?" harkening back to her exclamation of his name when he'd arrived.

She blushed and said, "Oh, well, I was just so excited to see you I forgot my manners."

"Don't worry about it Inoue, I was just teasing you but seriously just call me Renji." 

"Ok, in that case call me Orihime," she replied with a smile.

"Alright then, Orihime," he said with a smile back, "are you ready to pack and get going? I want to be out of here before night so we aren't followed. I'm not sure what's going on but we'll figure it out once you're safe away from here."

"Hai!" she nodded and they set off for her apartment.

Arriving a short time later they both walked in and she set to packing what she could in the suit cases she had. She didn't really have all that much, mostly just her clothing. Renji told her the rest of it could stay until they returned. She nodded but had a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong Orihime?" asked Renji.

"Well, I don't want to seem ungrateful for everything you and Soul Society and Urahara-san are doing but do we know how long this is going to take?" 

"Not really, why?"

"Um..it's just that.." she trailed off. He frowned, not sure what could have gotten the girl so flustered.

"Come on, just spit it out," he said making her jump slightly. Though he may be her friend every so often his gruff nature would catch her off guard and make her nervous.

"Oh, um, I was just realizing that since I'll be gone from Karakura I won't be able to keep my job. I may be able to get work in Tokyo but I don't know for sure. And if I'm not making money for a while I can't pay my rent, so I'll lose this place and any stuff I leave behind," she ended sadly.

Renji felt bad and he realized that basically what they were doing with her amounted to witness protection. They hadn't considered the ramifications of plucking her out of her old home and dropping her into the safe house. He shook his head at the idiocy of himself and the other Soul Society members for not having thought this portion of the plan through. She could not take all her stuff, there just wasn't enough time to pack it all and there would be plenty of resources at the safe house. His arms were crossed and his brows furrowed down as he tried to think of a solution to this problem that would not end up with them wasting too much time before they got out of there. Last night there had been five hollows looking for her, how many would there be tonight? It was a miracle they had not found her yet and he didn't want to risk her safety any longer than he had to. He continued thinking but couldn't come up with a solution. All the human allies they would normally turn to were gone except: Isshin Kurosaki.

"Orihime, what if we were to ask Isshin to help us? I'm sure he would, he cares about you a lot," Renji proffered.

But Orihime shook her head, "No, I'm not going to ask him for anything more. He's been through enough with the war; he doesn't need this on him as well."

She stood silent for a moment, weighing her options and trailing her eyes over the apartment as she turned in a full circle, absorbing every detail and burning them into her memory. She'd had many happy, sad, terrifying and elating times here but she realized as she turned once more to look around that it was time to really move on. For all she knew she wouldn't be coming back to Karakura and wasn't the point of growing up to move forward? She smiled a sad smile when she reached her decision and turned back to face Renji.

"I'm just going to leave what I can't take with me. The landlord will do with it what he wants. He probably won't even care that I'm gone. As long as I have a box of the wonderful gifts given to me by friends over the years, my picture of Sora, my clothes and my hairpins I'll be fine. I realize it's time to move forward, no more looking back."

Renji was stunned; he couldn't believe this girl (woman really if he was honest) was willing to give up what amounted to her whole world in this fashion. This was beyond someone moving away to school or anything like that. This was a complete uprooting from one place to another, to a strange place she'd never been to and had no idea what to expect from. He admired her courage and strengthened his own resolve to keep her safe and, if possible, happy.

He didn't insult her by second guessing her decision, he could tell by the set in her eyes this was her final decision. It may not be what she wanted, but it was what she was willing to do and he'd respect her by going along with it in stride.

"Ok, Orihime, we'll do that. Let's get whatever you want to take packed so that we can get to the train station." At those words Orihime started a little and then ran to her desk. Pulling open a drawer she found the ticket that Ichigo and Isshin had purchased for her. Unbelievably the ticket was for today, it was already time for them all to go visit the guys at school. She ran back to the living room and explained everything to Renji.

"That actually works well in our favor, you'll be traveling with people you trust and who know me. I know you didn't want to get Isshin involved but he's going to have to know now. But I'm sure he will respect your decision. Let's hurry so we don't miss the train."

With that, Orihime gathered a few boxes to put her belongings in, packed two suit cases of clothing and carefully laid Sora's picture on the top of one of the piles of clothing before closing and latching the case. Between she and Renji they were able to carry everything to the train station (he'd borrowed a gigai for the time being) and arrived shortly before Isshin, Yuzu and Karin.

"What's all this? Are you running away?" Karin asked with her eyebrows raised, "And what are you doing here?" she directed this question to Renji.

Orihime blushed slightly but Renji answered for her, quickly explaining the situation to the Kruosaki family.

Isshin had sadness in his eyes but was smiling proudly at Orihime. " _Oh my dear, you've had to grow so much in such a short time,_ " he thought looking at her. Then adjusting his gaze to Renji's eyes he said, "You realize that Ichigo is going to blow a casket that he wasn't told about what was going on here right?"

Renji snorted and said, "Yeah, you don't have to remind me. No offense, but that's quite the hothead you raised there."

Isshin laughed loudly and said, "Yeah, don't remind me."

By now the train had pulled in and the men loaded Orihime's bags. Renji had purchased a ticket since he couldn't pack away the gigai and travel in spirit form and they all boarded the train. Soon it was pulling out of the station, racing towards Tokyo. Orihime marveled at the scenery as they traveled, pointing things out excitedly to Renji who sat next to her or conversing with the girls about their schooling and giggling over Yuzu's crush on a new boy who'd just moved to town. Renji watched her out of the corner of his eye and then would roam his gaze around the train, watching for anything suspicious. He felt instinctually that the foe they faced was spiritual and so far he'd sensed nothing amiss but it didn't hurt to be absolutely sure. Isshin noticed his movements but said nothing, letting the man do his job without being disturbed. Frankly, he was glad it was Renji who'd been assigned to watch over Orihime, though part of him wondered how his son would react to the news. He was not going to be pleased that Orihime was in this position and he knew nothing about it. But that had been the point of him leaving. However, Isshin knew his son better than Ichigo wanted to admit it and he knew the amount of guilt he would lay on himself that he'd left and this happened to Orihime. Shaking his head he sighed and closed his eyes.

In a matter of hours they were pulling into the Tokyo station and alighting from their compartments. Renji had Orihime stay right by him while he made arrangements with their contact (another Soul Society ally) about getting her stuff driven over to the safe house. They would follow in another vehicle. These formalities handled he turned to Isshin and said, "I would offer you the hospitality of the safe house except that the less people who know where it is the better. I'm going to take Orihime there now so she can rest a bit and freshen up. That should give you plenty of time to do the same with your family and we can meet up at the school to see Ichigo and Uryu."

"I'm glad to hear she doesn't have to stay cooped up in the safe house the whole time," Isshin commented.

Renji's eyes narrowed slightly and he huffed, "Yeah, well, I had to fight for that one but I explained that were she not to show up as predetermined with you and the girls the hell Ichigo would cause would not be worth the trouble. As long as I'm with her she'll be safe. Hell, she'll be safer here because of Ichigo, Uryu and Chad. He's still coming right?"

"As far as I know he'll be here tomorrow," Isshin answered.

"Ok then, I'll be in touch, we'll see you later," Renji said and guide Orihime to a waiting car so they could head to the safe house. The drove through the busy streets of Tokyo, Orihime's eyes wide at all the new sights and sounds. She grown up in a small town and hadn't really ever traveled outside of going to Soul Society so this was all impressive to her. Renji smiled slightly watching her thinking, " _For someone who has been through so much and looks so much like a woman she hasn't lost that child's spirit, at least not completely."_ He realized that Orihime's personality had undergone somewhat of a change but that was understandable given the hell she'd been through in Hueco Mundo, much of which no one knew about.

They finally pulled up in front of a large three story home in a relatively popular neighborhood that bragged quick access to the hustle and bustle of the city without all the crowding. When the car stopped Renji got out and walked around to let Orihime out. He'd already explained to her the need for her to follow his directions and let him move her from place to place. They just didn't know what they were up against so he was using every precaution he could. This was, after all, one of his closest friends. That thought gave him pause as he realized he didn't really know that much about the girl but felt a closeness to her because of the battles they'd faced together. He wondered if maybe because of this assignment he'd have opportunity to get to know her better, if she wanted to let him that is.

As he was thinking about these things they had reached the front door and Renji entered a code to the touch screen lock. A loud clang emitted and he raised his eyebrows, " _This thing looks like a normal house but I bet it is built like a fortress."_ The door swung open and lights flitted on as they stepped through the threshold. "Oh…my..goodness.." breathed Orihime as she took in the sight before her. The floor was gleaming, probably marble from the look of it, and spotless. The foyer opened up into a huge great room that had the living room, kitchen (with island) and fireplace all in one expansive but well laid out space. They could probably fit 30 people standing in it easily. The kitchen cabinets were a deep mahogany and the countertops were as black as pitch. Looking closer at them she thought they looked like onyx. The walls were varying colors of cream and brown, warm tones that felt inviting and comforting. The fireplace was a deep rich red brick and looked like it burned wood, not electric. As she rounded the corner she opened a door and found a medium sized bathroom in varying shades of blue and silver, absolutely gorgeous.

Renji was watching her take it all in and smirked when her eyes landed on him saying, "And this is just the first floor, wait until you see the rest of it." He nodded his head for her to follow him and she did, up the rounding stair case to the second floor. There she found a hallway with four doors, two on each side. He led her to one on the right hand side and opened it. She gasped as her eyes fell upon the pool table, dart board and corner bar. Moving on they entered the second door which was the master suite with an on suite bathroom which was white and grey in coloring. The bed was a four poster California king with a plush mattress covered in black sheets and comforter with red pillow cases. There was a wardrobe, dresser and night stand set that matched each other in deep rich grey. They reached the end of the hallway which had a large window looking out over the city. It was a breathtaking view and looking at it she realized they were on the edge of a hill. Renji led her back down the direction they'd just come to open the closest door. Here she was met with a second smaller bedroom, the bed still probably a king size, this one covered by navy blue sheets and comforter with white pillows. There was also an on suite bathroom also white and grey but a bit smaller than the master. They kept moving to the last door and here was a lounge with another fire place. Two comfortable leather chairs sat before it and the walls were covered ceiling to floor with bookshelves, each filled to capacity with books.

Orihime couldn't believe how comfortable she felt here already despite how lavish everything looked. Renji didn't say anything but kept walking towards a door she hadn't noticed when they first came up the stairs. She realized it was a small elevator. He hit the up button and they entered after the doors opened. The moment the doors opened she was met with an amazing site of the roof top garden. Almost the entire roof was covered with glass to keep the plants safe. They smelled amazing as she walked through still following Renji. He opened the double glass doors and they stepped out onto the veranda overlooking the other side of the city. She inhaled deeply the cool night area and hugged her arms around herself. "Cold?" Renji inquired.

"Not too much, it just cooled off a lot more than I was expecting," Orihime answered with a smile. He nodded and then motioned for her to follow him back to the elevator. He hit a button and Orihime realized they were descending three floors. She threw him a quizzical glance since she thought there were only three floors total. He smiled and said, "Just wait and see." The doors opened to a basement level that was outfitted with weights and a sparring area. It was definitely not close to the size of Kisuke's underground training area but it was all she'd need to keep up her skills. 

"I seem to remember you wanting a re-match," Renji teased with a smirk, "I'd be happy to help you continue your training if you'd like."

"Oh yes," Orihime exclaimed jumping up and clapping her hands. He couldn't hold back a chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"Ok, so that's the tour. I'm going to make arrangements about getting the kitchen stocked and other necessities. Why don't you go upstairs, make a list of anything you want me to have acquired and then freshen up. I figure we'll probably be dining with Ichigo and the rest of those guys tonight if you're up for it?"

At the mention of Ichigo's name Orihime blushed and Renji smirked, "That's what I thought, come on, let's go."

They got back into the elevator and he took her up to the second story. Walking to the master bedroom he opened it and gestured her inside. "Oh no Renji, I'll take the smaller room, not that it's really that small, you should have the bigger bed, you'll be much more comfortable, "Orihime exclaimed.

He shook his head and said, "No, you are the guest of honor here, the second bedroom is fine enough for me, plus your stuff has already been moved into here." She turned at his words and saw that he was right. Her boxes and suit cases were already sitting in next to the wardrobe ready to be unpacked.

"Oh, well, um, I wouldn't want anyone to have to move them again, so ok, I'll stay here," she said though still slightly frowning. Then turning suddenly to face him she exclaimed, "Oh Renji, this is just amazing, I feel like I'm in a dream! I had no idea Soul Society had places like this in the world of the living."

He nodded and said, "Well, this is one of the best but to tell the truth it's on the small scale compared to other homes." 

"Small?! Who on earth would think this is small?" she said surprised.

"The noble families of course, they had a lot of resources at their disposal. In fact, this is one of theirs." 

"Who? Who would offer something like this to me?"

At this question Orihime noticed Renji's eyes hardened slightly, it was subtled but she was good at noticing things like this. He didn't answer right away but she could tell he was in the grip of a strong emotion so she didn't say anything. Finally he swallowed and said, "Um, this is owned by the Kuchiki clan."

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help smiling even though she wondered about Renji's sudden shift in mood. "Oh, that's nice! I guess that means Rukia will be joining us too?" but the moment the question left her lips she wished she hadn't asked. She saw Renji visibly wince. He, one of the most fearsome warriors she'd met in Soul Society who had terrified her when they were enemies, was visibly struck with her saying one name. He shook his head and looked in her eyes again, "No, Rukia has nothing to do with this. The hospitality here is extended by Byakuya in gratitude for all you have done for his sister and Soul Society." The words were crisp, no warmth, just a straight fact.

"Oh, I see," Orihime said though in truth she was completely puzzled. " _What on earth happened between Renji and Rukia? Weren't they best friends? I always expected they would end up together. It's fairly obvious Renji has feelings for her,_ " Orihime thought to herself looking at the man in front of her. "Well, then," his voice snapped her back to the present moment, "why don't you make that list and then get ready to go out?" She complied, grabbing a piece of paper and pen to jot down some ingredients she would like as well as some various toiletries she had forgotten to bring. He took the list and raised an eyebrow at the some of the odd requests but said nothing as he turned to go back downstairs.

Still fretting over what could have happened between her two shinigami friends Orihime took a quick shower before picking clothes to wear to see her friends. She had packed fairly neatly despite the haste and was able to quickly hang up most of her clothes while she went through them looking for something to wear. Her eyes fell upon a turquoise dress that she'd found in a vintage shop. The shop was fairly new in her old town and offered different vintage styles from all over the world. This one was more western than she normally dressed but she loved the color so much she just had to buy it and it fit her like a glove. It was a sleeveless v-neck in cotton with four silver buttons down the front and a silver slim belt. Despite its simple design and shorter length (hitting just below her knees) Orihime felt like a princess when she wore it. No one had seen her in it yet and she felt it was the perfect thing to wear for the special occasion of reuniting with her closest friends. She even decided to put some pink lipstick and light cream eye shadow on before slipping on nude wedges.

While Orihime was getting ready Renji had been downstairs speaking with the caretaker of the house and giving instructions on what to get. The servant understood all the criteria and exited on his mission with a bow. Renji rolled his eyes feeling out of place since he was usually the one having to take care of all the small jobs but as Orihime's body guard he had to concern himself with being near her as much as possible. He sat on the couch in the living area waiting for her to come down and called Isshin.

"Oi, have you guys met up with Ichigo and Uryu yet?" he asked when the elder Kurosaki had answered his phone.

"No, we figured we'd all go together to see them. Funnily enough the two of them ended up as roommates so we only have to go to one place to see their dorm as least."

"Ha," Renji laughed, "I'm sure the two of them just loved that arrangement."

Isshin chuckled and said, "Yeah, I know, they act like they want to tear each other's throats out but really it's probably for the best. They may bring out the worst in each other sometimes but they also bring out the best. Plus, if there is any hollow activity here at least they don't each have another roommate to have to explain their odd disappearances to."

"Has there been a lot of activity? There should be a shinigami here from Soul Society in a city this big, probably two" Renji asked, concern entering his voice.

"No, but you know those two, they can't stay out of anything for too long which is why though I know it's impossible I wish we could keep this whole situation about Orihime from them a bit longer, but no doubt they will sniff it out. Plus, she's kind of an open book anyway," Isshin assured him.

"No kidding," Renji muttered thinking again how unbelievable it was that Ichigo was so damn clueless about the healer's affections for him, "Alright then, let's meet at the entrance to the school and we'll all head in together to the dormitories."

"Sounds like a plan, when do you think you'll be there?" 

"We're leaving pretty much now, I'm going to go upstairs to fetch Orihime and then we'll be on the road."

"Alright, see you in probably twenty minutes," Isshin said and then hung up.

Renji got up and turned to head to the stairs but then froze in place. Orihime was coming down just then and she looked stunning. The color of the dress complimented her fiery copper locks perfectly. How something so modestly cut and simple could look so ravishing on her was beyond his comprehension. He'd seen her in skirts and dresses before but this was different. She looked like a _woman_ and he couldn't stop staring at her. She noticed his face and said, "What is something wrong?"

It took him a moment to realize she'd spoken, much less asked a question he should be answering. "Oh, um, urgh, no," he said clearing his throat slightly embarrassed at his blatant staring. She had reached him by now and cocked her head, "Renji-kun, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost. Which is funny because that's what you see all the time," she asked laughing slightly. He shook his head again and smiled shakily before replying, "Um, sorry, it's just.." he trailed off, not believing this human girl was affecting him like this. " _It's pure chemical reaction, nothing more,_ " he told himself. He tried again and managed to form a coherent sentence, "Sorry, Orihime, you just surprised me. You look very pretty."

Her cheeks flamed at his compliment and she shyly tucked her hair behind her ears before replying, "Thank you, Renji-kun." They stood in an awkward silence for a moment more before a knock at the door snapped them out of themselves. Renji turned to look at the camera trained on the front door and seeing it was the driver he opened the door. Ushering Orihime out the door and down the stairs he thought, " _This assignment just got a whole lot more interesting. I can't wait to see Kurosaki's reaction to her._ "

It was not long before they'd reached their destination and Renji saw the Kurosaki family waiting for them by the gates of the college. Stepping out of the car he rounded it and opened Orihime's door. He held out his hand and she took it. He felt a jolt of electricity not experience before when doing this and was barely able to keep a straight face. " _What the hell was that?_ " he thought but didn't dwell on it as he turned to walk with her towards the family in front of them. By now all three had seen her and all three had slack jawed expressions.

"Ummm, really, is something wrong with me? Should I not have worn this Renji?" Orihime asked apprehensively looking at the silent family (normally some of the loudest people she knew) staring at her.

"There's nothing wrong Orihime, you just look a lot different from what we're used to seeing you in, don't worry about it," he assured her before walking up to Isshin and smacking the back of his head hissing in his ear, "She's nervous enough about seeing him, stop staring."

Isshin snapped out of his stupor and properly greeting Orihime as did his daughters. They grouped together and began walking towards the dorms where Uryu and Ichigo were living. As they walked Renji noticed that pretty much any guy they passed was staring at Orihime, some so long they tripped over sidewalk cracks or ran into light poles. But she was blissfully unaware of any of it while she chatted animatedly to the two younger girls with them and for that Renji was glad. He didn't want her to feel more self conscious than she already did. As they were nearing their destination his eyes fell upon a familiar head of orange hair.

Ichigo and Uryu had been waiting outside for his family to show up and were idly chatting with some other guys from their dorm about an upcoming party. Ichigo didn't really want to go but they were insisting and it was starting to feel easier to just go to the damn thing rather than continuing to argue. Uyru was included in the invitation but he was doubtful the Quincy would attend, he was all study all the time save for now because he wanted to see their friends coming to visit. Suddenly Trent's, one of the guys who was from America, eyes got wide and he said, "Oh wow, total babe, six o'clock!" Ichigo raised his eyebrows and turned to follow the direction of his eyes. His eyes widened considerably once the face of the girl Trent had to be staring at came into focus. " _Inoue?_ " he thought, not believing this was the same girl he'd known in Karakura. Uyru had turned as well and Ichigo heard him inhale sharply as he took in the site before him. "Wow, what I wouldn't give to get her number," Ichigo heard behind him and whipped his head back to the speaker, this one named Mike. The glare Ichigo held was so fierce they both took a step back and Trent spoke up again, "Geez, man, what's up? Is she your girlfriend you've been hiding all this time or something?""

"What? No, she's just a friend, I don't think of her like that," Ichigo shot back somewhat loudly but his fierceness had subsided slightly due to the shock of the question. However, his voice had carried behind him and Uryu saw Orihime's face fall when she heard his words. " _Damn it,"_ thought Uryu. He elbowed Ichigo who turned to glare at him but he simply nodded his head in the direction of the group. By the time Ichigo looked over to them Orihime had plastered her fake smile on and hurried up to them.

"Kurosaki-kun, Ishida-kun it's so good to see you," she exclaimed stopping before the two of them. Ichigo just stared at her not sure what to do. Finally Uryu nudged in front of him and hugged Orihime saying, "It's so good to see you too Inoue, we've missed you, haven't we Kurosaki?" he said as he turned back to his dumbstruck friend. Ichigo blinked and then smiled weakly saying, "Yeah, yeah, it's so good that you're here." Then he too hugged her quickly before making his way to his family. The two guys were still standing there so Uryu made the introductions to Orihime.

"Such a pleasure to meet you, you're quite the vision," said Trent smoothly. Orihime blushed and murmured a thanks before turning to Uryu again, "Ishida-kun, can we go see your and Kurosaki-kun's room? I heard you are living together?"

"Yes, of course," he replied and gestured for them all to follow him. Both he and the substitute shinigami wondered at Renji's presence but for the moment they left it alone until they were alone to address it. Also, both were wondering how they'd failed to feel either his or Orihime's reiatsu when they'd arrived, particularly Renji since his power profile was significantly higher than the healer's.

They went through the motions of showing them the ground floor with the common kitchen, recreation room (complete with pool table, foosball table and air hockey table) before heading up to their floor. This was a co-ed dorm so men and women were mingling throughout the halls. Orihime noticed that both her friends gained the attentions of almost every female as they passed by but both seemed oblivious to it. Similarly, Orihime was garnering the attention of all the males but failed to notice it because she had her eyes fixed on the back of Ichigo's head as she followed them to their room. They were on the sixth floor in a corner room. Two loft beds had desks beneath them with wardrobes on the opposite wall of the door. To the left of the entrance was another door which led to their private bathroom. Once they were inside and the door had shut Ichigo turned, looked directly into Renji's eyes over Orihime's head and said, "Now, what the hell is going on?"

Orihime knew that look, it was one he used when entering battle, when his senses were heightened and he was ready to pounce. His muscles were tense, fists almost clenched and eyes shining with determination. There would be no point in lying to him he'd sense it right away. She heard Renji sigh behind her and say, "Do you really want to go into this while your family is here? Shouldn't you enjoy your time with them before they leave? Trust me there will be plenty of time to go over everything." Ichigo didn't reply right away but moved his eyes to his sisters. He knew how much they missed him, they told him as much during his weekly phone calls home and the truth was he missed them too. He really wanted to know what was going on but knew Renji had a valid point. He sighed and relaxed his posture saying, "Fine, we'll talk about it when Chad gets here tomorrow." Everyone was shocked he dropped the subject so quickly but were thankful. Apparently time away had done something to him controlling his temper a bit.

It was decided that Ichigo would go with his sisters and dad to spend some quality time with them while Renji and Orihime stayed with Uryu. Though he was curious about what brought Renji with them he let it alone as well. Instead, Orihime inquired to him about his studies and how his classes were going. He informed her he had taken up with the needlework club here as well and they were working on plushies to donate to the one of the local children's hospital at Christmas time. They had about two months to make eighty of them. "Oh, I'd love to help!" she said excitedly but then added, "At least, if I'm allowed to, I mean, I'm not a student here." He smiled at her willingness to help and said, "I welcome your help if you're available. Are you going to be staying here that long though?"

Orihime dropped her gaze and said, "Well, um, that's kind of part of what we need to talk to you, Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun about."

"Say no more, I understand, we'll discuss it all tomorrow as planned," Uryu assured her and they once again moved on to other topics.

Renji had been decidedly quiet, letting the two friends in front of him catch up while waiting for Ichigo and his family to return. Uryu offered to walk them around the grounds of the school while they waited so off they went to see the buildings housing different specialties plus the athletics field and the library which was gigantic. Finally Ichigo called Uyru and told him they would meet up at their favorite sushi restaurant for dinner. The rest of the evening was pleasant as the family and friends entertained each other with humorous stories of escapades each had missed during their time apart.

Soon enough it was late in the evening and all were worn out from long days, some from travel some from school. The group bid goodnight to the two college attendees and headed for their respective stays, the healer and the shinigami making plans to meet up with the other two and Chad the next day for lunch once Chad had arrived to discuss the recent developments.

 **Author's Note: Ok, so I know I said I would explain why Renji was assigned body guard duty in this chapter but it got away from me in set up and I don't want to droll on and on. So I will end it here with the next chapter having more background on his situation as well as the boys being brought in on what's going on with Orihime. Thanks for your patience; I just don't want to rush the writing or flow of the story.**


	19. Chapter 19 - Connecting

**Author's Note: Ok, so here we're going to find out what happened to get Renji where he is now. I realize that he may seem OOC in how I present this but I really feel like Orihime would be someone who could get him to open up. She's trustworthy and I don't think even the tough as nails shinigami would hold out from her empathetic ear.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 19 – "Connecting"

Ichigo had just finished getting ready for bed and laid down staring up at the ceiling. There was so much running through his head he doubted very much that he would be able to sleep. " _Why is Renji here? What's going on with Orihime?_

" **More to the point, did you see how hot the princess looked today?"** his Hollow asked, seeming to smile leeringly.

Ichigo frowned, " _Ugh, what the hell do you want? As if I won't have enough trouble sleeping as it is,"_ he responded in his mind.

" **Too bad King, I have a feeling more than me is going to keep you up tonight,"** he sneered back, " **I know your most private thoughts remember? You're just lying to yourself if you believe you don't think of the princess as more than just your friend. Stop being such a pansy and just hit that already!"**

Ichigo sat up angrily and almost shouted, but then remembered Uryu was already asleep, before he shouted with his mind's voice, " _Enough! I've heard enough of you talking about Inoue like that, one more word and I'm coming in there to kick your ass!"_

" **Bring it on King, I told you next time we tousled I was going to win and then I'm going to take the princess and make her my Queen!** "

Ichigo huffed and laid back down again, not necessarily worried that his Hollow could carry out the threat but he realized he was exhausted. School was taking up so much more energy than it used to because he was applying himself even more now. He'd thought that without the distractions of Karakura Town he'd have more energy left over for just handling school and his part time job but it was rougher than he thought. And now this annoying secrecy about Inoue. " _Tomorrow,"_ Ichigo said to himself for the umpteenth time, " _tomorrow Chad will be here and we'll find out what's going on. I just hope she's ok."_

" **Of course she's not ok you idiot, why the hell would that red-haired shinigami be with her?** "

Groaning Ichigo resolved that if he was going to get any sleep he'd have to stop thinking and talking to himself thanks to a certain annoying Hollow who eavesdropped on all his conversations. It wasn't he, himself and I; it was he, himself and that guy!

While Ichigo was struggling to get to sleep Orihime and Renji had made it back to the safe house without incident, although they received a report that four more hollows had dropped into Karakura that night. Unfortunately they were dispatched before it could be determined what they were doing there other than hunting wayward spirits. Renji groaned impatiently at the news and told Kisuke he should formulate a better strategy with the shinigami who were assisting Kano. "You don't think I've already thought of that? You know these young kids; they think they have all the answers, "Kisuke answered.

"Well, make them listen! We need to know what's going on before this escalates any further," Renji countered. He noticed Orihime had not gone upstairs but seemed to be waiting for him to finish his call. "Look, I gotta go, keep me posted," he said and hung up the phone after Kisuke agreed to call him with any news.

He turned to the girl and asked, "Something on your mind?"

She hesitated, trying to figure out how to best form her question but nothing tactful was coming to mind so she just went with the direct approach, "Renji, I wanted to know if there's anything you wanted to talk about? You have been very quiet all day and it's fairly obvious that something happened between you and Rukia."

She saw him stiffen again and hastily continued, "Please, forgive me if I'm being intrusive or rude, I just…I just know what it's like to feel alone with your feelings and if you want someone to talk to, I'd be happy to be there for you if you'd let me."

Her sincerity shown in her eyes as she stood there with her hands clasped nervously in front of her. Renji looked for a long moment and then sighed heavily, "Ok, Orihime, I don't want you worrying about me. You need to worry about you right now. Let's go upstairs and we can talk in the lounge. Go ahead and get ready for bed, I'll make a fire and some tea. I doubt you'll sleep until I talk to you right?"

"Hai," she said softly and bowed slightly before going up to her room. Behind her she heard Renji rummaging in the kitchen, it having been stocked by the caretaker while they were out. Once he'd finished the tea he walked it upstairs, setting it in the lounge and starting a fire before heading to his own room to shift out of the gigai. He then changed into his sleeping clothing and walked back to the lounge. He wasn't there more than two minutes before Orihime came in wearing a pants and long sleeve PJ set. He gestured to the chairs and they both sat down.

Taking a deep breath he looked at her and said, "Ok, this may be a bit long, are you sure you want to talk tonight?"

She nodded as she sipped her tea, delighted at how tasty it was and focused all of her attention on the man in front of her.

"Ok, then, here we go," he said.

 _FLASH BACK TO THE WEEKS AFTER RENJI AND RUKIA'S FALLNG OUT (same time as Karakura began experiencing increased hollow attacks)_

 _Renji's dealings with his captain had actually been far less strenuous than he initially believed they would be given the fierceness of his response to his spat with Rukia. The day after Byakuya informed Renji of his and Rukia's forbiddance to see each other, for which Renji was only mildly surprised. He was more surprised at his quick acceptance of it. After that it was almost business as usual for the lieutenant of the sixth division, though his respect for his captain had dwindled again. He wondered idly if maybe it was time to make a change. Should he stay with sixth if his own captain found him so unworthy of respect after all that he had done for him, his family and Soul Society? But what could he do? He couldn't retire, he was too young and he didn't want to outright quit. He could try transferring to another division but even that came with stigmas he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with. So for the time being he remained, waiting while he figured out what to do._

 _That same day he'd told Rangiku what had happened and she actually cried for him she was so upset. "I had no idea it would end that badly, I'm so sorry Renji," she had cried while hugging him. He'd patted her back and replied, "Like anyone could have predicted that, it's ok. You know? As much as it sucks right now, I have to believe it'll get better." She looked at her friend with awe and said, "Renji, I never thought I'd see the day where you became so mature!"_

" _What do you mean?" he asked frowning._

" _Well, even just a year ago you would be losing your mind with your anger at the injustice and unfairness of this type of treatment but here you are, ready to turn the page and move on. It's…it's a good thing I think," she replied._

 _Though still not appreciative of having been thought immature he smirked at her reply and had said his goodbyes as he had been running errands again when he'd run into her at the market. It was exiting a store that he heard a gasp and looked down to see Rukia looking at him. "Great," he thought and turned away to head back to his division. But she'd caught up to him and grabbed his hand. He yanked it back and turned staring down at her furiously saying through clenched teeth, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you_ _trying_ _to get me in more trouble with your brother?" She had flinched at his tone but shook her head._

" _No Renji, no, I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you and well, I didn't know what to do, I need to talk to you," she'd replied hastily with down cast eyes and shaking voice. He couldn't believe the change that had happened overnight. Gone was the fury to be replaced by what almost appeared as sickness. However, his wounded heart and pride were still raw, plus he was doing what he could to adhere to his captain's orders and here she was talking to him! "Kuchiki-san," he began, "You know your brother's orders are firm, we are not to have interactions with each other. Please, be on your way and I will be on mine."_

 _He saw her lift her eyes, filled with tears, and stood frozen staring at her. His heart panged slightly but he hardened it again, he couldn't afford to be tossed back and forth on the waves of her emotions. He wasn't allowed to after all! Nodding he turned and strode away again. "Renji!" he heard her shout but he didn't dare turn, just kept walking though his legs felt like lead. He reached his office and went inside._

 _Over the course of the next few weeks he'd often sense Rukia round though she tried to stay out of his sight. "What is she doing? I swear that woman will be the literal death of me," he'd thought as he walked home very aware that she was following him. He never turned, never acknowledged her, just kept walking until he was in his house. One time he thought she was going to knock on the door but she had kept moving thankfully. Then one night while he was sleeping he heard a tapping at his window. He rose and walked over to it, pulling back the curtain to see Rukia's face in the frame. He grunted with surprise and then set his face to an immovable countenance. She gestured for him to follow her outside and finally being tired her basically stalking him he nodded. He threw on the outer layer of his shihakusho and went out his door, following her to the back of his home and out to the trees._

" _What the hell are you doing out here at this hour," he asked in a harsh whisper._

" _I needed to talk to you Renji, I can't keep going on like this, please talk to me," she pleaded. It was so disarming that he raised his eyebrows. He stood with his arms crossed and when she didn't say anything further prompted her with a sharp, "Well? What is it?"_

 _She drew in a shaking breath and finally started talking, "Renji, I…I don't know what came over me that night. I wish I had a better explanation or reason but I don't. I just…I…" she trailed off again. He didn't say anything, what was there to say? He'd confessed to her and she'd freaked out, simple. He continued to wait for her figuring if she didn't get this out now she would not stop following him around, no doubt attracting all sorts of unwelcomed attention both for herself and for him._

" _Kuchiki-san, please," he began but was cut off by her saying, "Stop calling me that Renji! Just stop it!"_

 _There was a renewed fierceness in her eyes now, a familiar anger but somehow it remained laced with sadness. Finally, he'd had enough. He couldn't keep up with her, didn't understand why she was doing this when she'd made it perfectly clear his affections and quite frankly himself were not welcomed in her life._

" _Rukia, what the hell do you want from me or expect me to do now? You ask me to tell you what's been going on with me and when I tell you I love you, you attack me and then your brother attacks me. He has given a strict order to both of us to stay away from each other and yet you make it impossible to do so because every damn time I turn around there you are! You go from royally pissed off at me for telling you about my feelings for you to following me around! I'm tired of it! I had my say and your actions spoke louder than any words ever could. So please, please leave me alone both because your brother commands it and now because I ask it. I am tired, I want to move on from you but I can't if you won't go away. So please, go away Rukia."_

 _While he'd been talking she had tears flowing down her face but he couldn't stop, not once he got going. All the pain and misery he'd held on to the past weeks since his confession and her reaction poured out in that one paragraph. She didn't say anything, just stared up at him with reddened eyes and sniffling. There was a part of him, deep in his heart, that ached for hurting her this way but he'd realized that he'd spent so much time aching for her that he was done. He didn't say those things to hurt her, he said them because they were true. She still wouldn't move so he sighed and decided it best to take her home himself at the risk of his captain's wrath to make sure she was safe. It was the least he could do for her now._

" _Come on, I'll walk you home," he offered. She didn't move still but then suddenly collapsed on the ground, exhausted from grief. He stooped and picked her up in his arms. "One last time, I'll defy your brother to carry you to safety," he said as she nestled down in arms and the memory of his run from her execution flooded his mind. She was almost asleep from pure exhaustion. He decided to take his time because even though he was hurt, even though he was so angry with her he could curse her, he knew she needed this last moment and so did he. He didn't know how he knew as he was completely clueless to her motivations for coming to him that night but this was his act of mercy after hurting her._

 _Eventually he reached the gates of the manor and the guards let him through. He walked to the front door and knocked. Shockingly Byakuya opened the door and Renji thought he was done for. However, his captain merely nodded for him to follow him. They walked to Rukia's bedroom where Renji pulled back the covers and placed her in the bed. He covered her up and before thinking better of it dropped a quick kiss on her head. "Goodbye, Rukia Kuchiki," he whispered and took his leave behind his captain._

 _Once back outside the two men did not say a word to each other but somehow Renji knew that Byakuya appreciated that he'd brought Rukia home that night. His pride would never allow him to apologize or show sympathy for the situation, nor would he vocalize his gratitude but the coldness in his eyes faltered just long enough for Renji to get the message. Some may say the pride of men made them dense but even they could convey heartfelt words without speaking._

 _More weeks passed after that night and Rukia, while still popping up here and there through normal coincidence, she no longer followed Renji around. One day after his captain's meeting (the third in one week which was unusual) Byakuya entered his office and called Renji to his desk._

" _Yes sir?" Renji inquired and sat after the chair in front of the desk was indicated by his captain._

" _Abarai, I'm sure you've heard the murmurings of unrest in the world of the living, particularly with hollow sightings and attacks in Karakura Town," Byakuya began. Renji nodded, it was definitely amongst the gossip in the seireitei. "Kano has been doing the best he can but it is proving difficult even for him. And with Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryu and Yasutora Sado having left the area it is unusual for this level of activity to be present. Kano has been performing konsos regularly as well, so the food source for hollows has dwindled enough that we should not be seeing this level of activity. This meeting I have returned from brought with it unexpected news."_

 _Renji raised his eyebrows in curiosity as he waited for his captain to continue._

" _In the most recent attack Inoue Orihime was involved," Byakuya said and Renji's eyes got wider. "She is fine, she actually assisted with dispatching one of the hollows, but she did have a run in with one which almost captured her. It was during this encounter that Urahara Kisuke arrived to offer his assistance. Upon entrance to the battle he overheard the hollow that was attacking Inoue say they had been looking for her."_

 _Renji said incredulously, "What? Why in the world would they be looking for her specifically?"_

" _That is unknown. The creature said no more about it and all but one were destroyed before they could get any further information."_

" _All but one?" queried Renji, "What happened?"_

" _The last hollow of the group escaped back to Hueco Mundo before Kano could kill it."_

" _Damn it, so we don't know why Orihime's being hunted only that she is the reason for the increase in hollows? I mean, I know she's increased her powers recently but not to the degree where I would think she'd be drawing out hollows," Renji said with frustration in his voice._

" _Precisely, so we are of the mind that something else is going on, something not yet scene and we are formulating a plan to counteract this new situation."_

" _What is the plan?"_

" _For the moment, the captains and head captain feel it best to get Inoue Orihime out of Karakura Town. We know that hollows can follow her anywhere so we have enlisted the help of Urahara to make her a reiatsu suppressor so that when she leaves she cannot be followed as easily."_

" _Leave Karakura? By herself? Where is she going to go?" Renji sounded exasperated._

" _It has been determined she will stay at my family's safe house in Tokyo. We will be sending a body guard to stay with her as well," answered Byakuya._

" _A body guard? Who is being sent? It can't just be anyone. I know there are some who still think Orihime was a willing traitor to Soul Society but I know that isn't true. We have to get someone we can trust to watch out for her," Renji beseeched._

" _Yes, we do," Byakuya replied with a pointed look, "Why do you think I offered my family's safe house and my lieutenant?"_

 _Renji stared for a moment and then said, "Wait, you want me to do it?"_

" _You are the best choice for this job Abarai. Your skill set and familiarity with the world of the living will go far in protection detail. And she trusts you so she'll go along with our plans more easily if you are there to guide her," came the reply._

 _Renji was floored. His captain had never, ever said anything of praise to him before. At best when Renji managed to avoid snark commentary that was good enough for him._

" _Also," the captain continued, "this will help with keeping Rukia away from you. I am very aware of her propensity for disobeying my orders. With you in the world of the living she will have no choice but to pick herself up and move on from the loss she had suffered." Ah, there it was. The ulterior motive he was sure had to be somewhere. It couldn't just be that he was the right man for the job, there had to be a jab thrown too. Though, as he thought on it again, it wasn't a jab to him per se. If this was the best Byakuya could do in being complimentary Renji would just have to take it._

 _So it was that a week later Renji found himself having packed significant amounts of his belongings to be shipped to the Kuchiki safe house in Tokyo. He then stepped through the senkaimon and found himself accosted with an enthusiastic reception by the girl he'd been sent to protect._

After Renji had finished speaking he saw that Orihime had tears running down her face. He sighed and said, "See, now this is why I didn't want to tell you all that, I hate making people cry, especially you Orihime."

She sniffed and replied, "I'm sorry Renji, I just…I never thought I'd ever see you and Rukia apart like this. I really had no idea the prejudices of the Kuchiki's were that profound or that Rukia had fallen so heavily under their influence that she would not fight for you."

"Well, you fight for those you love and clearly she does not love me," he replied sadly.

"Oh but Renji, I know she does, you can't really believe she doesn't care about you? Look at what she did when she was banned from seeing you," cried Orihime.

"Orihime, you are very sweet, but please, let this alone. As I said to Rukia, I am ready to move on with my life. I've wasted many decades pining after her and I need to find new paths to walk."

She nodded, eyes glazing over a little as she thought of what Ichigo had said that day about her. It still stung even though she knew he hadn't meant it maliciously. He just always had that reaction when anyone presumed he had feelings for her or any other girl for that matter. Renji noticed the look and said softly, "Speaking of time wasted pining, may I give you some advice?" She nodded, fairly sure what he was going to say but allowed him to say it anyway.

"You know pretty much the only person who doesn't realize you're in love with Kurosaki is him right?" She nodded again but did not reply.

"And don't you think you've wasted enough time just waiting for him to come to his senses and see you? I mean, really _see_ you? You've sacrificed so much for him and while I know he's grateful he doesn't understand your motivations. He sees you as his nakama and believes that's all you see him as too."

She hitched her breath and the tears flowed more because she knew he was right. She'd never doubted it but hearing it from Renji made it all the more real and it broke her heart. She held her face in her hands and cried.

Renji, no longer able to watch her suffer alone, walked over and knelt down in front of her. Gently he leaned forward and just barely hugged her, allowing her room to pull back if she didn't want his contact. But instead once she felt his presence she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed as he held onto her.

She was so tired. Tired of trying so hard to be brave, to be strong, to hold back her emotions in front of Ichigo, to force herself to see him as just a friend when she knew her heart was literally screaming for him to wake up and see her. To see her as a woman, as one who'd give anything for him, who'd die for him, who'd love him if he'd only let her. She sobbed and sobbed and Renji just held her, stroking her hair.

When she had all but cried her eyes dry Renji leaned back and looked into them saying, "Orihime, you have three choices here. One, you decide to move on from Ichigo and truly do so. Two, you tell him how you feel and maybe you find he feels something for you too. Three, you tell him and he doesn't have feelings for you like that but at least you'll know and can move on."

"I can't tell him Renji, it will destroy our friendship if he doesn't return my affections and I just can't risk that," she said through hiccups.

"Then I would strongly advise you to allow your heart to heal and move on from him. You are so much more than he sees and in my book that means he doesn't even deserve you. Do you understand?"

She nodded and hugged him again, thankful for his words, for his ear to listen, for his heart to be open to her like this. She never thought she'd ever see the day she and Renji Abarai would be pouring out their hearts and souls to each other. She was more thankful that while being her guard he had quite suddenly and abruptly become a true friend to her.

"Come on now, it's really late and we have a big day tomorrow, let's get you to bed," he said and picked her up. He walked her to her room and laid her down in the bedroom.

"Renji," she said as he turned to go and he looked at her, "Thank you for being my friend."

He smiled and said, "Thank you for being mine as well." Then he turned, left the room and shut the door so she could sleep. She fell asleep more easily than she would have believed.

 **Author's note: Whew! I know that was a lot of angst but like I said, these characters need to grow and with growth can come pain. I hope Byakuya wasn't too OOC for people's tastes. I just feel like he would realize he needs to change after all that has happened with Rukia and the war but would be very halting about it. Also I had toyed with Renji taking longer to open up to Orihime but it felt right to expound on what happened to him after that night with Rukia and like I said in my beginning note I feel like Orihime is someone who he would open up to. Please review, constructive criticism is welcome as well as notes of enjoyment of course.**


	20. Chapter 20 - Nothing Really Stays

**Author's Note: Thanks again to my faithful reviewer Casey525, I'm so glad you felt the confession was rightly timed. As per usual I will remind readers that I am trying to grow these characters into new depths so if they seem OOC I don't mean for them to be so much so that the story is un-enjoyable and I hope that is not what is happening. I know I'm driving the Ichihime shippers crazy and while they really are my OTP I am trying to write them in different directions purely for the curiosity of what could happen. I mean, isn't the point of fanfic to write and/or read about the things we wonder about happening? Also, I know I've updated my summary three times but the original just didn't feel true to how the story ended up going. Anyway, I'll stop rambling here; I hope readers continue to enjoy this and that you will review to let me know your thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 20 – "Nothing Really Stays the Same"

The next day Chad had arrived to Tokyo and the five friends met in the picnic area of a secluded park. Since it was the middle of the day there was no one around to disturb them or overhear their strange conversation. Prior to their meeting with the guys Renji had asked Orihime to please keep his situation with Rukia between the two of them, at least for the moment. He really did not feel like adding more worry to the situation which he knew would happen, particularly with Ichigo since he and Rukia were such good friends.

Renji took a deep breath and said, "Ok, we're going to tell you everything that's been going on over the past month or so and why I am here with Orihime and why also she will be staying Tokyo for longer than just this week. Let us tell you everything before bombarding us with questions." With that he started at the beginning, having Orihime fill in anything he didn't know had happened prior to his arriving in Karakura to pick her up. The three men in front of them listened intently, Ichigo and Ishida scowling and Chad's face impassive as ever. When they'd finished it was silent for a beat and then Ichigo piped up.

"Can anyone explain to me why the hell we are just finding out about this now?" he said looking between the healer and the warrior.

Orihime shifted uncomfortably under his gaze but managed to keep her voice steady as she replied, "Kurosaki-kun, Kano is the watcher of Karakura Town now. He was doing his best…" but he interrupted her, "Well, obviously his best wasn't good enough! You were almost taken, Inoue, that's inexcusable."

She frowned and said with more force than she thought she could muster, "It wasn't his fault, he had told me to stay away but when I heard the battle that night I couldn't just leave him to die! It would be the same if any of you were there. Thankfully Urahara-san showed up when he did. I know I still have a lot to learn about fighting but I couldn't just stand by and do nothing! I would have stayed in Karakura and tried to protect myself rather than come here as a burden but Urahara-san and Renji explained to me that continuing to do so would only bring more and more hollows causing more danger to everyone around me. So I agreed to come here."

Ishida and Chad both were surprised by the force of her answer but Ichigo was either too irritated to notice the change in behavior or too oblivious. He huffed a frustrated sigh and said, "Inoue, I don't know how many times I have to say it, you are not a burden to me, or to anyone here. We want you safe, you know that right?"

When Orihime did not reply he sighed again and directed his eyes to Renji to get more details on what they were doing now. As she listened with half an ear to the conversation she wandered into her own thoughts.

She knew he was trying to make her feel better by saying she was not a burden (even if he was still annoyed with her for not telling him what had been going on) but really when would she have had the opportunity to? It wasn't as though they talked on the phone at all while he'd been gone. They'd barely emailed to each other because they knew they were going to see each other soon.

Once again she felt like she was reverting back to her old self of feeling like a burden, a damsel in distress, needing to be saved all the time. She knew she shouldn't but she resented Ichigo for feeling like this. It was completely irrational, but his opinion of her affected her so much she couldn't help it. Just once, she'd like for him to see her as a true comrade. Maybe not equal to any of the others he'd fought alongside but to realize she really could take care of herself to some degree. She had, after all, dispatched two hollows on her own. Granted that paled in comparison to what he, Chad and Ishida had done but she still did it!

Yet to him, she was just the same, someone to protect without getting her hands dirty. " _Shouldn't I be thankful for that? Shouldn't I appreciate that he wants me to be left alone from the horrors of death by not killing? Then why am I so pissed off at him?"_ she thought. And that last thought surprised her more than anything. She was upset at him for wanting to protect her and that made even less sense because she was willing to have a body guard for crying out loud!

She continued to sit in silence while the men talked trying to pull up the encouragement Yoruichi had given her, to remember to be strong on her own. She had come with Renji because she wanted to protect the people of Karakura, not because she was afraid. She had said as much to him on the train during their journey and she smiled slightly at the remembrance of his reply.

" _Orihime, fear is not something to be ashamed of. It's a natural response to things beyond our control. And these hollow are very much out of control! It's what you do with the fear that will end up defining you in the end." She has asked him then if he had ever been afraid because quite frankly she could not imagine him ever being so._

" _Sure I've been afraid, I may be a warrior but I'm not immune to emotions Orihime. I just work to not let my fear get the best of me but I don't always win. I'm sure Ichigo told you about his and my first encounter in Soul Society."_

 _She'd shaken her head and replied, "Well, he told me about where you were when he met you, that you battled and both you and he collapsed afterwards but no details beyond that."_

 _He opened his eyes wide in surprise and in spite of himself felt gratitude and respect for the substitute shinigami. He was sure Ichigo would have reveled in gloating over his defeat and the weakness he had shown in his terror over Rukia being killed, begging the stranger who was just a kid, to save her when he could not._

 _Sighing he continued as Orihime kept looking at him, "Well, let's just say he bore witness to my fear winning. None of us are above it. So don't worry about being afraid, just worry about what you will do with it. Coming with me to Tokyo is part of_ _our_ ( _his emphasis on the word made her smile) strategy. It gives us room to figure out what is going on without having to worry about nightly hollow attacks, at least to that degree."_

"Inoue, you there?" Ichigo had asked waving his hand in front of her face. She realized she had been lost in her own thoughts. She shook her head slightly and blinked. "Sorry, Kurosaki-kun, I guess I checked out there for a moment," she said quietly.

He frowned as he replied, "Uh, that's ok, don't worry about it. So it seems like you and Renji have your living situation sorted out, at least for now. I have to admit that I'm surprised Byakuya of all people would be willing to help like this but no doubt that's from Rukia's influence. Speaking of which, where is she?"

Orihime was surprised she was able to keep a neutral face at the question. She further surprised herself by answering before Renji could, "She is on another assignment, plus Renji can handle this on his own. It's not like I'm going to run off," she said with a smile.

Renji, she could see behind Ichigo, had widened his eyes just enough for her to know he was surprised at her bold lie and that Ichigo actually bought it. Then again, if she thought about it, she'd been lying to him for years. She had avoided, down played and outright lied to his face over and over whenever he would ask her what was wrong in those moments where her face betrayed her feelings for him and he'd caught something she wasn't ready for him to see. When this realization hit her she wondered if he would still consider her a friend were he to know how much she'd lied to him.

By the time Ichigo had turned to face Renji again he'd gotten over the shock of her lie and his face betrayed nothing. "Alright then, well, you have us here as well, we'll be looking out for her too so we'll need to know the safe house location" he said.

"Kurosaki-kun, you have your own life to live, remember? You don't have to worry about me," Orihime said and he turned to face her again, his eyes widened slightly.

"Of course we're going to help, we can't stand by when there is danger threatening you," he said strongly.

She sighed and looked him in his eyes. Normally she would not have been able to hold his gaze like this but she was willing herself to be stronger than she'd been before. No more running away and no more hiding. As they stared at each other she tried to think of how she wanted to say what she felt but nothing came. The silence lingered on as the Quincy, shinigami and fullbringer stared at the pair in front of them, no one really sure what to say. Somehow there was a new battle of wills going on and it took everyone by surprise. Finally Ishida cleared his throat and looked at Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, if I may have a word with you," Ichigo turned to him and he continued as he stood up, "Alone."

Ichigo scowled but followed him away from the group and said irritably, "What?!"

Ishida took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient, because he knew he was in for an argument with the man.

"Ichigo," began Uryu and his audience's eyebrows rose a little since when Ishida called him by his first name he was being more serious, "take a step back for one moment and think about this. How in the world are you going to protect Inoue when you are getting ready to leave again? You haven't even told them about the study abroad program you got into yet have you?"

Ichigo hitched his breath in. He'd been so tied up with trying to figure out what was going on with Orihime and Renji that everything in his own life had flown from his mind. He hadn't told them he'd been accepted into a fairly prestigious program offered to first years to travel to London and study in their specialized fields for six months. It was something akin to a fast forward in his discipline. Why they picked for this so early in the year was a mystery to him but he could only think that it was a way they expedited the more qualified students and he'd been shocked that his professor had named him as worthy to participate. He softened his face, realizing that Ishida was right. If he were to continue on this path he would be leaving in a few weeks and wouldn't be here. He frowned again and said, "I'll just have to pass on it, I can't leave when something could happen to Inoue."

Ishida took another deep breath and said, "Ichigo, do you really think she wants you to put your life on hold for her? She was the one who asked Yoruichi to help make it so it was possible for you to leave Karakura Town and get on with your life."

"But," Ichigo began however Ishida interrupted him, "Listen to me Ichigo, things will always be happening. With the path we've chosen, Orihime included, there will be danger and struggles because we're not normal humans. I know in your mind she's still someone you always have to look out for but open your eyes and really look at her. Look at how much stronger she's become. She's not afraid of what's going on around her. She came here to protect the people she cares about because here we can defend ourselves and she was shielded from whatever enemy is pursuing her, at least for now, because of reiatsu suppressors. We don't even know what is going on. For all we know Soul Society could be completely overreacting because they still don't trust her. They could have sent her here under the pretense that it was for her protection but could merely want to keep complete tabs on her. What better way to do that than secure her in a shinigami safe house with a lieutenant guarding her?"

Ichigo frowned at this and said, "Anyone who believes she was a willing participant in all that are idiots, she did not defect. We know she was taken under duress. And Renji better not be one of them who thinks like that!" 

"I do not believe he does but there are many who probably do. Remember, she entered into Soul Society as an enemy. We all did when we went there. So to many she is still not worthy of trust. But that is beside the point. The point is she is here, she is safe and Renji will keep her that way. I know you think that everything always has to lie on your shoulders but for once, stop thinking the world is your burden to carry and try to enjoy your life. She will still be here when you get back."

Ichigo was still conflicted. He felt like leaving now would be abandoning his friend, his nakama, but Ishida was making a lot of sense. It was odd to think that in the short time they'd been living together they'd actually become better friends. When they'd first found out they were roommates both were highly annoyed but somehow being in close proximity to each other, away from all the other strains of their secondary lives and not knowing anyone else around them, they'd woken up to realize they really did respect each other. He sighed resignedly and nodded his head. Yes, Ishida was right, if he ever hoped to actually live his life he had to stop putting everything on the back burner. Renji was here, he'd take care of her, and if not Ichigo would kill him himself. As he came to this conclusion he felt his Hollow stirring up but he ignored his ranting deciding he'd deal with him later.

Ishida smiled slightly and said, "Ok, enough with the emotional crap, I swear sometimes I feel more like a father to you than anything else." Ichigo smirked at that and they headed back to their friends.

"Everything ok guys?" Chad asked looking between the two of them. Ichigo nodded and answered, "Yeah, Uryu just reminded me of some things that slipped my mind."

"What's going on?" Renji asked standing up from where he'd been seated next to Orihime.

Ichigo took a deep breath and stuck out his hand to Renji. Renji cocked an eyebrow but took his hand in a firm grip. "Renji," Ichigo said, "you know this is not easy for me to say, so I'm just going to say it once. I'm trusting you to look out for Orihime, completely. What I had not told you all because I was so focused on what was going on with the damn hollows chasing her is that I've been accepted into a study abroad program. I'm going to be in London for six months and leave in a few weeks. It was very suddenly dropped in my lap and I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity. This, of course, means I won't be here to help so I'm counting on you to guard her with your life. She's one of my best friends and if anything happens to her I'll be coming for you."

The surrounding audience was in shock at Ichigo's announcement regarding his leaving again, save for Ishida, but even he was surprised at this showing of affection and trust from Ichigo.

Renji took a moment to absorb what he said, eyes never straying from Ichigo's and his grip sound in the hand of his ally and friend. Because really, he did think of Ichigo as a friend. Someone who'd bested him in battle, who'd honored him by fulfilling his request to save Rukia and who'd been faithful to fight by the side of Soul Society well before it was fair for any to ask it of him. Finally he grinned and said, "I can't do much less considering you once saved my best friend from certain death. You've got a deal Ichigo." They ended with a firm shake to seal their promises and released their hands.

The whole time Orihime's eyes were wide as she watched all this solemn talk go on in front of her. She was stunned at Ichigo's words about her. She didn't know he considered her one of his best friends. Normally the thought of being just a friend to him caused pain in her heart but hearing his sincerity and conviction of those feelings caused it to warm. She may be tired of him thinking she always needed protecting but knowing how much she was worth to Ichigo, even as just a friend, was uplifting and she felt her anger melt away under its warmth. More surprising was that she was not shattered this time that he was leaving. She'd already gotten used to him being gone even over just the course of a month and she was genuinely excited that he'd been granted this opportunity for his studies and future career. She jumped up and hugged him in her jubilation for him. He let out a noise of surprise but then hugged her back.

"So, now that we've handled all the heavy stuff, how about we try to have some fun together? We only have Chad for the week so let's get to it," Ichigo said after he'd released the beautiful redhead.

The week passed too quickly for any of their liking but the friends managed to have a good time together despite the heavy school load Ichigo and Ishida were carrying. Friday arrived and it was the night of the party Ichigo had been invited to. He hadn't really wanted to go but Orihime said it would be rude if he didn't. "Ok, only if you, Renji and Chad come, it won't be any fun without you there," he'd replied. She'd blushed mildly but accepted the invitation after he'd convinced her it was fine since it was just a frat party and there would be many people there invited by those who were invited by the house inhabitants.

She was in her room at the safe house getting ready to go and wasn't sure what to wear to something like this. She'd never really been to very many parties of this nature, actually none. The parties she'd went to or hosted had either been kids' parties while she was growing up or hang outs with their gang in high school. She was excited but it was a nervous excitement because she would be surrounded by strangers in a strange place. So she kept standing staring at the wardrobe. Finally she decided on a pair of jeans that hugged her curves nicely and a pink tank top with white cotton jacket. She decided to wear her hair half up with her pins in place like always. She decided on black ballet flats since she wasn't sure how long she's be on her feet. Putting the final touches on her makeup she huffed and said, "Well, this is the best I can do, hopefully it's ok."

Renji was already ready and waiting for her downstairs. He'd adorned his gigai with dark denim jeans, black t-shirt and black leather jacket along with black sneakers. His hair was tied up in its normally high pony tail. When Orihime had reached the bottom stair he went to the door and checked outside. Then he opened the door and they again got in the car to head to the university.

They arrived at the gate to find Ishida waiting for them. "Hey guys," he said as they exited the car.

"Hey Ishida, where's Ichigo and Chad?" Renji asked.

"I told them to go on ahead, we'll meet them there," he replied.

Orihime smiled at Ishida. He was dressed impeccably in black dress slacks, a blue button down and black tie with black shoes. The only thing that showed he was in "relaxed" dress for him was he'd rolled the sleeves to three quarters. "Inoue, you look very nice," he complemented. She smiled brighter and thanked him. They fell into step slightly behind him since he knew where they were headed. They made their way away from the dorms to a line of houses on the other side of campus.

"The party is in one of the fraternity houses," he explained, "there are five houses for men and five for women. They are all in their own way the rowdiest and most party heavy places on this campus so the school very smartly put them far enough away from the more studious to not cause too much distraction for every day but close enough that they can keep an eye and ear to what's going on." The two with him simply nodded as they kept walking. Soon they were close enough to hear music coming from one of the houses. Orhime's eyes grew wide when she saw the number of people there and then wider when she saw a majority of the women there were dressed…interestingly. She suddenly felt very, very out of place and very much like a little girl who was somewhere she wasn't meant to be. These ladies worn sparkling thin strapped dresses, tight strapless dresses, mini-skirts, short shorts, she'd never seen so much skin in one place!

Renji noticed her expression but wasn't sure what to say to her that wouldn't sound creepy or lecherous. It was hard not to notice the women here and some of them were even beautiful, but they were trying way too hard. He just wished she would understand she was worth a lot more than she did. By now some of these same said women were noticing the new comers, particularly the dark mysterious Quincy and the muscled tall shinigami with flaming red hair. And the men had noticed a very different looking girl in their midst. Without even thinking about it Ishida and Renji had flanked Orihime as they were reaching threshold of the walkway. She smiled slightly knowing it was just what they were used to and truthfully she was glad they were there, it made it less scary to walk right into the middle of a completely new world.

The music was loud but at least not deafening as they made their way through the various groupings of people. Some were in the middle of the great room dancing, others were in the game room playing pool or darts, all were drinking. They weaved their way around looking for Ichigo and Chad. As they made their way through the house to the backyard (where there was a pool with steam rising from its glass like surface) Orihime saw him and despite her resolve to work on seeing him as just a friend there was just something about him that made her heart catch every time. She had no idea how someone could make a long sleeve shirt and jeans look so damn sexy but he did. The shirt was grey with a red stripe across the chest and jeans light blue with slight tears in the knees. She saw he was talking to a blonde who was very obviously under the trance of his eyes as he leaned easily against the wall. He just had that gaze that you fell into. Orihime's breath hitched as she watched this girl touching his arm as she talked, she was so bold it was staggering.

Ichigo was barely listening to the girl in front of him, already having forgotten her name but had told himself he would try to at least be civil to people. He'd always been told he was so standoffish and figured it was something he should work on. Suddenly he felt eyes on him which was funny because he usually didn't notice stuff like that. He lifted his gaze in the direction of the feeling and when he saw Orihime he almost smiled but something in her eyes made him falter. " _What's wrong with her? She looks sad, did someone say something to her?_ " He saw that Ishida and Renji were right next to her so he didn't really think that was possible but he couldn't read the expression on her face. He looked up over the girl to Chad and nodded his head to follow him. He said something non-committal to the girl and made his way to his friends.

"Hey guys, glad you could make it," he said with a slight smile and was glad to see that Orihime finally smiled. "So, what do you think?" he asked her. She blushed and answered, "Oh, um, it's interesting, I've never seen so many people for one party or so many," she was interrupted but a ruckus as one of the guys had managed to wrestle in a girl to the pool, "intoxicated to this degree," she finished as they surveyed the damages. Renji snickered at her comment, he being the closest to her. She smiled up at him and he grinned back.

"So, can I interest you in a game of pool?" Ichigo asked the group. They nodded and made their way back to the pool table in the game room. Chad had put a place holder for the next available game and they came in just as it was due for them to play. The men paired off to play, Orihime saying she had no idea how to and would much rather watch. So it turned out to be the shinigamis paired up against the Quincy and fullbringer. Orihime leaned against one of the walls watching the game and friendly banter between the men. She smiled thankful to be friends with them all. In her distraction she had not noticed when Trent, whom she had met the day before, walked up to her until he was next to her.

"Inoue right?" he said and she jumped at his close proximity.

When she realized she recognized him she smiled welcomingly and said, "Yes, and you are Trent?" 

"Aw, you remembered, I'm flattered," he said grinning. "So, what do you think of this place so far? I take it you're not a student here?" he asked.

"No, I'm here visiting my friends Kurosaki-kun and Ishida-Kun," she replied.

"You sure are formal for being friends with them," he said and when she scrunched her face slightly he quickly continued, "But I guess it just seems odd to me because where I come from people get onto a first name basis much faster than here. I have to watch it."

She smiled again and said, "Well, you did well remembering my name, I was surprised."

"You're worth remembering," he countered back. She blushed and then with sudden dawning realized he was flirting with her. It was the first time she had become aware of it completely on her own without Tatsuki bringing the obvious to her face. So this was what it was like to be flirted with. Funnily she was enjoying it. Trent was at least respectful and while he was standing nearer to her than she would normally have been comfortable with for having just met him he wasn't touching her or leaning over her. They continued talking for a while getting to know each other a little. He talked about his family back in America and she filled him in on more of Japanese culture. They were laughing and before she knew it she was having fun on her own without having to rely on any of her friends, male or female.

Eventually one of his friends, very much the worse for drink, stumbled over to them and said they needed to go. Trent made a face and turned back resignedly to Orihime saying, "Um, sorry to cut our conversation short, but I have to take these lackeys home. I'm the designated driver."

"Oh, I thought you lived on campus?" Orihime asked confused.

"I do but these guys don't, they're in off campus housing," he explained.

"Oh I see," she said, actually kind of sad to have their conversation ending.

"Listen, Inoue, I have no idea how long you're going to be in town but I'd like to see you again, preferably away from drunken crazy bastards," he said. Before she could answer she felt a flare of reiatsu and lifted her eyes towards the guys, thinking that they had sensed something requiring their skills. But when she looked over all she saw was Ichigo staring at her and Trent talking and he didn't look happy about it at all. Trent, who was still waiting for her reply, followed her eyes and saw the same thing. He sighed and looked back to her, "I guess it shouldn't surprise me," he said and she looked back to him, "I knew there was something between you two."

She shook her head empathically, "No, Trent, there really isn't, we're just friends."

He smirked and said, "Inoue, someone doesn't look at you like that when you're talking to another guy if he didn't feel something for you. It's ok, I kind of knew it already but figured I would try my luck anyway when he said you were only a friend." 

She shook her head again but he smiled and said, "Look, whenever you figure out what it is going on between you two I hope you're happy or if there really truly isn't anything I can see you again. Till then, I am not getting any more on that guy's bad side than I already am. I hope you have a good night. See you around." With that he was gone, disappearing into the crowd to find his passengers.

Her cheeks were flushed and she returned Ichigo's stare. They kept staring at each other until Renji put his hand on his shoulder and whispered something to him. She saw Ichigo start violently and whip his head to face the man next to him. Then he stormed out of the room. Renji looked back to Orihime and shrugged his shoulders then indicated for her to come over to him. She did so and said, "What on earth is going on with him?"

He sighed and said, "I wish I knew, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," she replied suddenly very much not wanting to be around anyone anymore. They said their goodbyes to Uryu and Chad and left the party. She didn't see Ichigo and figured he'd gone back to his dorm.

Ichigo hadn't gone back to his dorm, he was storming through the campus with no intended direction.

" **What the hell was that King? Who was that bastard talking to our princess?!"** shouted his Hollow.

" _That was Trent,"_ Ichigo answered, not knowing why he bothered to.

" **Let me kill him! He has no business being that close to her, what the hell!"** he fumed

" _Hey, Inoue isn't ours, she's no ones, she's her own person,"_ Ichigo answered back.

" **Yeah right King, keep telling yourself that. If that's the truth then why on earth were you glaring daggers at the guy and are now stomping off in a fit?! Go back and claim her, I swear.."**

" _Shut up! I don't know ok, I just don't know."_

Ichigo's thoughts trailed back to what Renji had whispered to him while he stood there staring at his friend talking to Orihime, " _Look, I don't know what's going on with you but don't you dare start something you can't finish. She deserves better than that."_ He'd been shocked at the man's words, they felt like they came out of left field. He was so irritated that he'd left before he decked either him or Trent. " _Why am I so pissed off? There's no reason,"_ he asked himself.

" **Not this again King! Stop denying yourself! You want her, it's plain to everyone but your own thick skull!"**

Ichigo sat on a bench and held his head in his hands as if squeezing it could silence the voice there but all it did was expound upon his headache. He was so conflicted and frustrated. He'd seen the look of annoyance in Orihime's eyes when she'd found him glaring and knew she felt his flared reiatsu. He thought he'd gotten better at controlling it but when something threw him like that it spiked and he couldn't help it. And her look made him feel worse, like he'd done something wrong but couldn't understand why. It was all just too damn confusing. He knew he was being immature and irrational but couldn't stop, it was like a spiral going out of control. He sat on the bench for a long while until he realized he was exhausted. Wearily he made his way back to his dorm. Surprisingly Ishida wasn't back yet though it was almost midnight. " _Maybe he hooked up with someone?"_ thought Ichigo but quickly dismissed it. Ishida didn't do that, though he could if wanted. Ichigo had had more than a few girls inquire to him about his "mysterious, studious" roommate. He always told them if they wanted to know they'd have to ask him themselves, he wasn't the type to set his friends up. Hell, he didn't even set himself up, which again, he could if he wanted to, he just never wanted to. It seemed so pointless and if there was one thing he hated it was wasting his time. He flung himself onto his bed and popped in his ear-buds, cranking up his music to try to drown out the ranting and raving of his Hollow. He knew he had to get his act together and just hoped that the morning would bring some answers instead of more questions but he doubted whether it would.

 **Author's note: So I hope people have enjoyed watching Orihime change a bit, I want to explore her opening her eyes to the rest of the world around her besides what's been in Karakura most of her life. Also, I know the Ichihime readers are screaming at me and I'm sorry that I keep winding the poor boy up only to have it not go anywhere but I just feel like he would dig his heels in on this. I hope everyone still enjoys this story, please review if you feel so inclined.**


	21. Chapter 21 - Time, Distance, Healing, Re

**Author's Note: Ok, I want to get this story moving a little so this chapter will have some time jumps so we can get to the changes happening with these characters. I hope the format makes sense and is not too obscure to how I have been writing the story so far. Also again there will probably be some OOC moments but I hope they are well received. Reviews as always are welcome, just please be kind. *Deep breath* OK, here we go.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 21 – "Time, Distance, Healing, Revelation"

The next day Ichigo woke up finding he had slept in his clothes. Looking at the clock with bleary eyes he saw it was 7:00 AM and Ishida wasn't there. So either he'd stayed somewhere else or he'd come home, slept and gotten up without Ichigo hearing him. The second seemed more likely because Ichigo had fallen asleep with his music on repeat so it's doubtful he'd hear anything. Just then Ishida walked back in and raised his eyes at Ichigo's appearance. "I see you're back to the land of the living," he commented as he walked to his desk.

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled his voice still heavy with sleep, "What about you? I didn't hear you come in." 

"Humph, you wouldn't have heard a hollow if it screamed in your face you were so passed out last night," Uryu chided him, "I don't think I've seen you that asleep except for when you were unconscious after a fight." Ichigo nodded but didn't say anything. Truthfully he was surprised he'd been able to sleep at all let alone deeply.

"Chad is leaving today at two," Uryu continued, "We're meeting him, Renji and Orihime at the airport at twelve to have lunch together before he takes off." At the mention of the healer's name Ichigo winced slightly. Ishida noticed the movement and turning to face his friend said, "Ichigo, what is going on with you and her? You've been acting very oddly lately."

Ichigo scowled and asked frustratingly, "What the hell are you talking about Ishida?" He knew what he meant but when he didn't want to talk about something it was Ichigo's default to try to bluff his way out of it. It very rarely worked, particularly with the Quincy.

Uryu rolled his eyes clearly showing it hadn't worked but resigned himself to the fact that it was not his place to pursue this conversation. If Orihime still had not told Ichigo about her feelings for him it was not Ishida's place to try to protect her from his friend's erratic behavior. Were he to do that he'd be in the same position as Ichigo: trying to protect her from something that she could handle on her own in her own time.

"Never mind, it's not worth the breath to argue with you about it," he said irritated. The subject was dropped and Uryu turned to his desk to work on homework while Ichigo headed to the bathroom to take a shower and change his clothes. He came back out and sat at his desk to work on his homework as well. When it was time to leave they took a cab to the airport. They found the three members of their party of five already seated at one of the many tables in the common dining area located in the middle of the food court. They decided their respective meals and Ishida offered to get food for Orihime and Renji so they could remain seated at the table. They all chatted and laughed the atmosphere surprisingly comfortable given the events of the night before and that they were once again saying goodbye to each other.

Chad was heading back to Mexico since he'd become a central figure in running the orphanage. He'd decided to take correspondence classes so he could remain on site but still continue his education as best as possible.

"Maybe we can come visit you there sometime," Orihime had said smiling and Chad had flashed a thumbs up, happy that they'd want to come see that part of his life.

All too soon it was time for him to board the plane and Orihime leapt up to hug him tightly around his neck saying through light tears, "Sado-kun, it was so good to see you. I know that you're doing so much good for those children and I'm so proud of you." The big man hugged her back saying into her ear, "Thank you Inoue, I'm proud of you for what you're doing too. You are so brave, never forget that." She'd hugged him even tighter at his words before letting him go.

He and Ichigo slapped each other heartily on the back, Ichigo saying, "We'll for sure come to see you, it may not be for a while but we'll come." Ishida and Renji both shook hands with him and then he was off, walking through the gate and onto the plane.

They all stayed to watch it take off before heading back to the car waiting for Orihime and Renji. "We can give you guys a ride back if you'd like," Renji offered. They accepted; glad to not have to pay a cab fare again. It was silent on the ride back as each reflected on all the changes going on around them.

Two weeks later found them back at the airport, this time to say goodbye to Ichigo as he began his journey to London. They had met for lunch again and there was a similar feeling in the air as had been when they'd done the same for Chad prior. Orihime was of course sad to see him leave but she'd been doing better with her new perspective on him. Ichigo didn't really seem aware of the changes in her though Ishida and Renji saw it plain as day. She no longer was unable to hold the orange haired man's eyes, no longer stuttered when she spoke, laughed more. In short she was blooming and coming into being her own person. She'd always been thought attractive physically to anyone who met her but now her inner beauty was shining and it was almost blinding.

Soon his boarding call sounded and they made their way over to the gate to wish him farewell. He shook hands with the two men admonishing them to take care of Orihime which of course they promised to do. Both looked at each other when Ichigo had turned to face Orihime and decided they should give them some privacy so Ishida commented that he was going to get coffee and Renji said he wanted some too so they'd wait for Orihime at the café down the way. Ichigo frowned but was secretly glad that they were leaving. He felt awkward again and having an audience to his goodbye with the girl would have made it even harder for him to formulate any appropriate thing to say. They looked at each other for a moment before Orihime stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

He put his arms around her and surprised himself by inhaling her scent deeply. He knew he wasn't going to be gone really all that long but suddenly the thought of leaving was causing him to feel tightness in his chest. " _Why do I feel like this?"_ he thought as he continued hugging her. Orihime was surprised at the strength of his embrace and the length of time he was holding her. This was very different from their previous hugs, few that they were. He finally pulled back but hadn't let go of her waist yet so though she was confused she kept her hands rested on his shoulders looking up into his eyes.

"Kurosaki-kun, you need to get going or else you're going to have to flash step to catch the plane," she said giggling slightly. The giggle sent an electric course through his body and he tensed. She felt it and went to step back but he tightened his grip. " _What am I doing?! I need to let go, I'm freaking her out,"_ he screamed to himself in his head. His Hollow was raging again, doing everything he could to pull him in so he could try to take over. The damn thing did not want to get on the plane and Ichigo realized suddenly he didn't want to either but knew he had to. He forced himself to let go of her and stood back so he couldn't feel her near him anymore. She was looking at him with curiosity in her eyes and could see he was conflicted but didn't know why.

She took pity on him and said with a smile, "Never thought someone who's faced hollows, bankai and even death would be afraid to fly."

He raised his eyebrows and realized she was being kind. She was giving an excuse to his odd behavior and though it didn't fully alleviate the tension in his body he felt grateful to her.

He chuckled and said, "Yeah, well, keep it a secret for me, would you?"

She nodded and hitched her thumb behind her saying, "Sure, now get going. We'll see you when you get back, even if I'm not still in Tokyo I'll come to pick you up."

He smiled and as he passed her he squeezed her hand one last time.

She turned to watch him go. He managed not to look back because he felt if he did he wouldn't leave. He was the very last to walk through the boarding gate and it shut behind him. At the sound of the closure he again felt tight in his chest. He felt something looming his sixth sense for danger making him cringe but he forced himself to keep walking. Renji was here, Ishida was here, they would take care of her. And really, if he were honest, he knew she could also take care of herself but for some reason that thought did not bring comfort to him.

 **Month One, Week Two**

Ichigo found himself so busy his first two weeks of the program that he barely had time to sleep let alone think about anything else except what he was studying. Even so, he would find himself recalling his goodbye with Orihime and wondering why he'd not done what he'd meant to. He'd planned on kissing her cheek when he passed her but he'd chickened out and squeezed her hand instead. He wondered how she was doing and decided to send her an email. She'd responded to fill him in on how things were going since he'd left.

Orihime had settled into a fairly simple routine with Renji at the safe house. They split the duties of cooking, he surprising her by being willing to try her odd creations and he being surprised that some of them he actually liked. She had told him she would get a part time job but he'd insisted it would be easier to guard her if she were with him either at home or wherever else she wanted to go. When she said she could only stand sitting around for so much he'd reminded her of her offer to help Ishida with the plushies. So she spent most of her days working on them to keep her mind and hands busy. She'd even roped Renji into learning some sewing skills to help offset some of his boredom as well. While he enjoyed her company he had to admit that being mostly cooped up could get old. He never thought he'd miss paper work but at least it had been something productive to do. He kept in contact with Urahara and found in the time that Orihime had left the hollow attacks had lessened to some degree but they were still more frequent than previously.

 **Month One, Week Four**

Orihime couldn't believe it had already been a month since Ichigo had left and she had moved to Tokyo. Because she was home so much she'd finished far more plushies than were needed for Ishida's project, though he was exceedingly grateful since he had not been able to dedicate as much time to it as he normally would because of his school load plus working part time. He'd convinced Renji to disclose the location of the safe house so he could visit and was always especially careful to mask his reiatsu just in case. He'd come over for dinner one night when he noticed Orihime seemed distressed.

"Inoue, what's the matter?" he asked and Renji had looked at her as well.

She sighed and said, "I don't know, I just feel like this is such a waste of time and resources. I mean, yes, it was unnerving to know that hollows were looking for me but do you think we misinterpreted what they meant by that?"

"What do you mean?" Renji asked.

"I mean, well, in Hueco Mundo there were hollows who were basically servants but there is no one there to command them. So maybe when the one who caught me said he was looking for me he meant that they were looking for more powerful prey? I mean, I know I'm not all that strong…" she hesitated trying to formulate her thoughts but at this last sentence Ishida had interrupted her saying, "You know that's not true Inoue, you are strong, your spiritual pressure is impactful."

She'd smiled at his kind words before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is what has really happened since I left? Nothing except I'm using up resources and Renji's time. I just have a hard time believing there is something to be worried about."

Both men looked at each other, understanding where she was coming from but felt she was wrong. There was something bubbling beneath the surface and they just didn't know what it was yet. "Orihime," Renji said, "while I appreciate your concerns please know I have no problem being here. Also, you know the hollow attacks have increased here too now right?"

"But could that just be because of you, me, and Ishida being here? Wouldn't we most likely attract more hollow activity no matter where we went? Or because Tokyo is filled with even more lost spirits?" she asked.

"Perhaps, but you and I both have the reiatsu suppressors, the safe house has reiatsu masking kido on it and Ishida is good at shielding his so we can't take any chances," Renji replied.

"I just hate feeling so useless! I can't even use my powers to help with hollow attacks here because there is so much fear of my being discovered," she replied exasperated.

"We can train here," Renji said, "Maybe not to the degree as Urahara's but we'll keep your skills up, I think it will help you feel better." She'd smiled slightly then and they went back to their meals, talking about the latest email Orihime had received from Ichigo.

Unbeknownst to them there were new plans formulating in Soul Society. The head captain had met with his Goeti thirteen captains (still down two since the war) to discuss their next move.

"It has been a significant amount of time since the hollow attacks in Karakura have diminished but we cannot afford to remain passive," he'd said as he began the meeting, "I believe it is time we send out forces on reconnaissance to see if we can determine who this new enemy is and what they want with Inoue Orihime." So began the formulation of search patterns and the captains working to determine who of their divisions would be sent on this mission.

Rukia, who had surprisingly been returning to her old self despite the loss of her childhood friend, had been adamant about helping on the mission. Byakuya had tried to keep her off a squad but because she was under Ukitake he had very little say in the matter which angered him greatly. He'd strode up to his sister's superior officer after the meeting where the squad members had been announced and said with ice in his voice, "I want Rukia removed from your squad, she has no business being a part of this and I forbid it." The head captain and his subordinates had all turned their attention to watch this exchange.

Ukitake met the fridge gaze of his fellow captain and said evenly, "While I understand your reasoning for this demand I will not acquiesce. Rukia has more than proven herself as capable of being a part of this mission and I will not forfeit her chance for redemption because of your foolish pride."

Even Kenpachi, who cared about nothing but fighting and least of all politics, raised his eyebrows at this exchange. Byakuya was struggling to keep his temper in check but managed somehow when he replied, "Do not presume to know or understand anything about my motivations nor my business Ukitake. I do not want Rukia going to the world of the living and that is final."

But the white haired captain was not backing down. "Kuchiki-san, have a little less pride and a lot more faith in your sister, she is more capable than you believe. This will be good for her, despite whatever or whomever she encounters over there."

His eyes made his meaning clear and Byakuya seethed. He knew that Ukitake was aware of exactly what had happened between Rukia and Renji and his part in it. He'd regretted his rashness that night but his pride swept the regret under the rug and he'd held on stubbornly to the belief that what he had done was for both Renji and Rukia's own good. This conviction had strengthened when she'd shown signs of doing better than she had done in months despite her severe depression those first few days. After she'd gotten over the initial turmoil it was like a switch flipped and suddenly she was more dedicated to her training, more focused, less volatile. Her color had come back and her body was stronger.

It was uncanny and made no sense but he wasn't going to question it. And here she was, being thrust into an opportunity to see the man again since her squad was assigned to Tokyo. He didn't know whether Rukia reciprocated his lieutenant's feelings but he knew it could not be so, the clan would never allow it. After his marriage to Rukia's sister there had been an up roar in the family and after her death and Rukia's adoption he'd been very plainly told a similar lapse in judgment would not be tolerated. Worse still the brunt of the punishment would be wrought on her and though he presented himself as indifferent to her he didn't want her exposed to that level of ridicule and mistreatment.

He still had not replied to Ukitake as these thoughts flooded his mind and the older man in front of him softened his eyes slightly to say, "Kuchiki-san, do not hold her back because of your own fear. She is stronger than even she knows but she will not find that strength if you keep protecting her. Let her become her own person as much as you can, she will love you all the more for it."

Aware of the eyes watching them Byakuya growled in frustration but turned his back on Ukitake and left the meeting hall. There was a collective sigh as the tension abated some. It was believed at one point the two captains would be coming to sword blows over this matter. So it came to pass that Rukia was placed in command of the squad from division thirteen and they began focused training with a scheduled date to leave in three weeks. They were to offer additional support to Renji in Tokyo due to the increase in hollow activity and to also give him opportunity to rest from guard duty.

 **Month Two, Week 3**

Ichigo had been doing well in his studies, though he'd been sick of the weather by the end of the second day of being in London. Why he'd not thought about the fact that it rained so much in England was beyond him. Between the real rain and the rain in his inner world (which he'd been drug into again but managed to kick his hollow's ass thoroughly this time) he was more tired of rain than he thought possible. He'd written as much to Orihime in his latest email to her. It seemed he found himself writing to her more than anyone else lately. She'd replied that she loved the rain and wished she could be there to enjoy it. He smiled, thinking how it would be to have her with him, showing her the sites, listening to her laugh, seeing her smile… " _Whoa, where did that come from?_ " he thought as he realized he was basically daydreaming about taking her on a date.

Orihime had been training four times a week and would have done more but Renji wanted her resting so she didn't over do it. She was downstairs in the training room punching and kicking the bag in front of her, her muscles burning with a familiar heat that she was becoming addicted to. It was just such a rush getting out her frustrations and boredom this way! Plus she was getting pretty good at it and her muscle definition was more apparent, though she'd managed to maintain her feminine physique. She heard the elevator doors open and turned to face Renji. Her face was flushed, she was sweaty and felt like such a slob in front of him. What she didn't know was he actually found her pretty attractive like this. He appreciated her dedication to her craft but damn, she looked amazing in her cut off shirt (abs clearly defined) sweat pants and bare feet. She alternated training with shoes and bare feet to get herself used to stances with both options. Yeah, he appreciated her dedication, but he was realizing that lately he'd begun to appreciate her as a woman and the thought bothered him. So he did his best to ignore it and kept himself at arm's length.

"Don't overdo it Orihime, you don't want to pull something do you?" he asked teasingly.

She frowned a little but then smirked back at him (she'd noticed that she was absorbing some of his mannerisms and even language from having spent so much time together), "Oh please, I could take you on right now, no problem."

He laughed, outright laughed at her and it surprisingly pissed her off. " _Is this how Rukia would feel when the boys laughed at her?"_ Orihime thought and felt a sudden connection to the girl even though she hadn't seen her for months. Without another word Orihime flew at Renji and tried to slam her fist against his chest but he blocked it. His eyes were wide for a moment, actually surprised at her sudden violence but then he grinned wickedly at her and countered her attack. She spun around and slammed her foot against his stomach but he was like a rock. " _Really, it's ridiculous how much muscle this man has,_ " Orihime thought as they continued their sparring. She was more tired than she'd realized but she'd started this fight so she had to finish it! She went to kick again but he'd grabbed her leg and pulled her feet out from under her.

Before she knew it she was pinned with Renji over her, one leg held in his strong grasp and her shoulder pushed against the ground with his other hand. He was looking at her intently and something in his eyes made her want to blush but she fought against it. She figured she was just angry because he'd bested her. She struggled but couldn't break his grasp. Then he did something that surprised her: he tickled her. She couldn't help it, she laughed out loud hard and that just made him worse. She was thrashing under him trying to get away but her laughter made it hard to breath. Somehow even in her near hysterical state she saw that he'd left himself open and she kicked out her other foot, catching his ankle. She had just enough torque to flip him and got on top of him though he still had hold of her leg. She kicked out with new force and got it away from his grasp.

Now she found herself straddling him and breathing hard. She didn't take any time to think about it and started tickling him back. He was surprised to find he was actually ticklish and realized no one had ever tried to tickle him. Mostly because anyone probably figured he'd kill them for trying. He laughed and moved away from her hands which made her go after him with renewed intensity. It didn't last long as he was much stronger than her. He grabbed her wrists firmly and sat up but she was still basically straddling his lap. Suddenly his face was almost touching hers and they were both breathing heavily. They locked eyes for a moment and Orihime took in a breath of air sharply, surprising herself by being able to hold her breath for a moment. Suddenly a bell sounding made them both jump. It was the front door.

"Ah, they must be here," he said.

"Who?" she asked as she got up and he followed her to a standing position.

"Reinforcements, stay here while I make sure," he replied, "I thought they were getting here tomorrow so I want to make sure I'm right before you come upstairs," he said as he headed to the elevator. When the doors closed and he was gone she took a deep breath. Her heart was beating a million times a minute as she thought back to what just happened and she couldn't understand why she'd had the slightest impulse to kiss Renji. She'd never been kissed and always daydreamed that her first kiss would be with Ichigo. But she knew that she had wanted to kiss Renji and that fact confused her. Was she transferring her feelings for Ichigo to Renji simply because he was always with her and she was more comfortable with him as each day went by? If so, that would not be fair to him, he wasn't someone she could experiment with; he was her friend! Also, she was fairly sure he was still hung up on Rukia, though he didn't admit it. He'd been in love with her for decades! She couldn't expect him to simply be over that because he was here or around her, could she?

She heard Renji's voice on the intercom and it made her jump, "Orihime, it's ok to come up." When the doors opened she gasped when he eyes fell on Rukia! She rushed forward and hugged her friend, forgetting her sweaty and disheveled appearance. Rukia laughed and it was one of the best sounds Orihime had heard. She had been worried sick about her but she actually looked good.

"Rukia, I can't believe you're here! Are you ok? What's going on?" Orihime fired a barrage of questions. It was then Orihime noticed five other shinigami standing in the room staring at her in her workout clothes. Blushing, she admonished her body guard, "Oh my goodness, Renji, how could you call me up here when I look like this?" The group merely chuckled slightly and began introducing themselves to her. The formalities handled Rukia dispatched her team and they went off to their respective duties. Turning to Renji she said, "You and I have some catching up to do but for tonight I'm on guard duty so you can rest." He'd opened his mouth to protest but Orihime interrupted and said, "Oh, I'm so glad, Renji you need to rest, don't worry Rukia will take care of me, plus she and I have catching up to do too."

Renji knew it would do no good to argue with the women but he couldn't help teasing her, "Huh, tired of me already Orihime?"

She blushed and stammered out, "Wh..What? No..no..it's not like that at all. I'm just worried about your wellbeing, you've been basically on duty for 24/7 for weeks and weeks and…" he cut her off by placing a hand over her mouth while saying, "I was teasing you. I'll order take out, you go get cleaned up." She nodded and scurried up the stairs. Turning back around he found Rukia with a strange look on her face. 

"What?" he asked gruffly moving towards the phone, "You hungry? I'm just going to order family style if that's ok with you."

She nodded and he placed their order. When he'd finished he found her still staring at him oddly. "Geez Rukia, what the hell are you staring at?" She warmed at him using her first name again glad to see that there was hope they could reinstate their friendship. She'd been completely honest with Byakuya before she'd left and told him she wanted to reconcile with Renji. Her brother didn't seem that surprised but had told her to make sure it was merely friendship she was pursuing. She had been surprised at the order but understood the reason for it. If she was honest with herself she'd come conflicted on whether maybe she did reciprocate his feelings but now standing in the kitchen with him and having witnessed what she did between he and Orihime she figured she was too late to do anything about it now and would have to settle for friendship. She smiled softly and said, "Oh Renji, don't tell me you don't know?" He blushed slightly and averted his gaze. She giggled which made him look back at her.

He walked over and surprised her by hugging her tightly as he said, "I missed you so much. I'm really glad you're here but what about your brother?"

She sighed and hugged him back answering, "I told him I was coming here for Orihime but that I was going to reconcile with you." She pulled back and they ended their embrace. "Renji, I don't want to drag this out so I'm just going to say I'm sorry for everything that happened in Soul Society. Since you left I've been trying to figure out what's being going on with me. I still don't fully understand why I reacted the way I did when you confessed but it was selfish and awful. I hope you can forgive me and that we can be friends again, if you want."

He smiled and hugged her again saying, "Baka, of course I want that."

She smiled in his embrace and when she's pulled back she poked him in the ribs saying, "So, planning on moving in on Ichigo's woman?"

He frowned and said, "She's not his, he doesn't see what's right in front of his face." 

She poked him again as she said, "Don't you make the same mistake."

"What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely confused and she shook her head in pity, though she knew she wasn't much better at recognizing a person's affections. The drama between her and Renji had proved that much. "She likes you too, baka! Since when does she stutter and blush like that talking to you?" His eyes widened as he realized she was right.

 **Month 3, Week 4**

Ichigo couldn't believe he was already half way through his program. The time was going by much faster than he'd thought it would but he found himself missing Japan. Specifically, he was missing a certain red-headed healer. Somehow being away from her for this long and this far made him realize how much he really liked her. Not just liked, _cared_ about her. How could he have not realized this? He'd noticed it more when he'd been pursued by a girl in his study program.

She was native to England and had offered to show him some of the sites. They'd gone out a couple times, just the two of them but while she had been trying to figure out how to get the hot orange haired man into bed all he'd been able to think about was he wanted to bring Orihime to see the sites she was showing him. He'd been surprised when he'd taken her back to her home and she'd tried to kiss him goodnight. He'd pulled back and said a shaky goodnight before almost running away from her door. Needless to say, they hadn't gone out again but he didn't really care.

 **Month 5, Week 1**

Having Rukia and her team around had been great. Not only did they help with the guard and hollow duties but they broke up the monotony of life at the safe house. Though Orihime was appreciative this she found herself missing when it was just she and Renji. She'd initially thought it would have been more awkward like that but since they'd comforted each other in their forlorn love stories they'd become comfortable fairly quickly. There had been one night about a week after they'd been there that she realized she knew next to nothing about Renji save whatever people had told her or the few times over the years that they were under duress together. Not exactly the best circumstances to get to know one another, plus at those times she had been completely consumed with Ichigo and barely noticed anyone else around her. So it was at dinner one night that she asked him about himself.

" _Tell me more about yourself Renji," she'd said sweetly. He looked a little confused so she continued, "I mean, if you want to. I realized that I don't really know anything about you aside from what I've seen myself and usually that was when we were fighting together. I don't know anything about your life."_

 _He'd frowned a little and cast his eyes to the side. At first she was worried she'd somehow offended him but she forced herself to not say it. She was trying to remember Yoruichi's teachings and that even if she did do something that upset someone it wasn't always that she'd done something_ _wrong_ _. So she endured the resulting silence, waiting for him to decide. Finally he looked back up to her and said, "Sorry, my life has been…not the best. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've had good friends and good times but overall it's been long, hard and full of death. It's not the most pleasant for dinner conversation. I think it would just upset you more than anything else."_

 _Her heart hurt for him that he would think that was the sum total of his life. She waited a moment to gather her thoughts and opened her mouth to speak, "Renji, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, if you don't want to talk about it that's fine but please don't think I can't handle a little darkness. How about I tell you a little about mine and you can decide if you think I can handle yours."_

 _When he'd nodded she launched into the story of her childhood. The abuse from her parents in every facet of life, Sora running away with her as far as he could and ending up in Karakura, his death and her being on her own at such a young age and the almost daily bullying from women because of her looks and unwanted advances of males for the same reason. She could see his hand clench tighter and tighter around the bottle in his hand as she spoke but before she could warn him it shattered from the pressure he was exerting on it. She flinched at the sound but he barely recognized that anything had happened. Then she saw his hand was bleeding so she rushed over to him. He still hadn't said anything and his eyes were closed and she was pretty sure it wasn't because he was in pain but because he was angry._

" _Soten Kishun," she's said softly and held her hands over his. It healed quickly but before she could stand back up he'd grabbed her hands, both of them almost fitting completely in his, and finally looked in her eyes. She held her breath at the look in them. It was a mix of compassion and rage. She'd heard of people's eyes burning their way into your soul but never had experienced it until now. His eyes really did look like there were flames in them._

" _Orihime," he said and his voice was thick with an emotion she couldn't identify. She wasn't sure it was pity, sympathy or empathy. Maybe it was all rolled together? He'd continued, "I owe you an apology." That was not what she expected to hear at all. He owed her an apology? It wasn't his fault her life had been a crapshoot for the most part. She felt she should be apologizing to him for upsetting him like this but she didn't, she waited for him to continue his thoughts._

" _I have foolishly underestimated you for the majority of the time I've known you. Lately I've been impressed with you gaining the strength you have but now I realize I was remised to believe you were not already strong. You are one of the strongest people I know and I'm sorry I didn't give you the respect you deserve sooner."_

 _She'd been stunned. One of the strongest_ _people_ _, not just woman? No, he hadn't qualified it like that. Given the people he knew this was an exceptional compliment. She didn't know what to say._

" _Come on, I'm going to clean up this glass before you cut yourself too. When I'm done we'll sit in lounge and I'll tell you more of myself, though I doubt it will be very impressive given what I know about you now."_

 _She'd smiled and patted his hand before saying, "I wasn't trying to be impressive, just honest."_

 _He'd finally smiled back and helped her stand back up. While he dealt with the glass she went upstairs to wait for him in the lounge. He'd come up about five minutes later and sat down across from her. Then he'd told her all about his life in Soul Society. How he'd gathered friends together that had become his family, how they had to survive on what they could steal and how as time went on more and more of them were dying. His eyes had shined a little when he recounted how he'd met Rukia and Orihime's heart grieved for him again because she could see how much he cared about her in how he spoke. Then he talked about them joining up to be shinigamis and all the training he went through. He recounted Rukia's adoption into the Kuchiki clan, eyes darkening at the memories and what that decision had cost him. He gave details about his progression to becoming the lieutenant to division six and some of the battles he'd faced long before Orihime had ever come into the picture. He ended saying with a slight grin, "And then one day we all looked up and rocketing through the sky were four ryoka who changed my life again."_

That night had been deep and heavy again but at the same time both the woman and the man had felt lighter having bore their souls completely to each other. It was the closest she felt to any of her friends and it made her laugh that it was with a shinigami warrior from Soul Society.

 **Ichigo's Return (six months later)**

Ichigo was anxious and had to stop himself from getting up to pace the plane. He was almost home to Japan and couldn't wait. The past six month away had been amazing for so many reasons. His study program had gone better than he could have hoped because he'd worked his ass off. Even in the midst of a heavy work load he'd had opportunity to enjoy site seeing. He'd actually managed to make some new friends which surprised him to no end as he was usually not good at that sort of thing. But the biggest change, the most exciting and scary change was he realized he cared for Orihime. He'd laughed at himself that it had taken him completely extricating her from his life (save for emailing each other) to realize how much he valued her. How much he enjoyed being around her. How much he…loved her? " _Do I love her?_ " he asked himself. He wasn't sure, the only people he knew he actually loved were his family (even his idiot father) but that was of course a different love. With dawning comprehension he realized he'd been falling for her without even seeing it happen. For some reason her absence made it clearer to him how he felt about her than had he stayed in Japan.

" **Typical King, it takes losing something for you to recognize its value,"** his Hollow piped in, having followed Ichigo's train of thought.

" _Shut up,"_ he'd shot back, really not wanting to deal with him but then realized something, " _Wait, what do you mean lose? I haven't lost her."_

He heard the spirit chuckle darkling and said, " **Oh really? Just when I thought you couldn't be more stupid you manage to surprise me.** "

" _What the hell are you talking about?"_

" **Just wait and see King, just wait and see."**

Ichigo growled in frustration but try as he might he couldn't get the damn spirit to talk. " _Typical, the one time I want you to open your mouth you keep it shut."_

Renji, Orihime, Rukia and Uryu were waiting for Ichigo at the baggage claim. They couldn't believe how fast six months had come and gone. Orihime was excited to see him and looked forward to his stories of London. He'd told her some things via email but she had told him to save his stories so he could share them with everyone. He'd said something about only caring to share with her but she'd insisted so he did what she wanted. Her heart was beating excitedly however she realized it was not at the usual feverish pace it normally was whenever she knew she was going to see him. Given that she hadn't seen him for six months she thought her heart would literally be leaping out of her chest but it remained firmly secured behind her rib cage. " _Why am I not more excited? This is weird,"_ she thought.

"Excited?" she heard Renji say beside her and it was _then_ her heart leaped. " _Wha…what was that?"_ She almost looked down at her chest to ask her heart why it was being so confusing. Why would her heart be all normal pitter patter which thinking about seeing Ichigo after six months of him away but when she hears Renji's voice it leapt to attention and was beating faster?

She realized she hadn't answered him and said quickly, "Of course, I'm very excited to see Kurosaki-kun!" Rukia had noticed this exchange and smirked to herself, " _This is going to be really interesting, I'm glad nii-sama let me come, I want to see how this plays out."_ It was then she saw Ichigo and said, "There he is."

Orihime whipped her head back around and saw the boy, no man, that she had loved for so many years making his way to them. It was easy to track him with his orange hair. She smiled fondly but realized with more conviction that she had actually done what Renji recommended: she had moved on from him.

Ichigo was surprised to see Rukia with his group of greeters but his eyes were focused on one person. He couldn't wait to hug her, to tell her all that had happened to him, to let her know how he felt. But he'd decided it would be better to ease into it. Though he'd finally started to believe his Hollow when he'd told him that Orihime liked him too he couldn't help still doubting it a bit and wanted to make sure before embarrassing the poor girl in front of their friends. But as he got nearer and nearer to her, seeing the smile on her face, the shine in her eyes and her enthusiastic waving he knew it, he couldn't deny it anymore: he loved her.

He'd reached her and hugged her tightly, she letting out a squeak of surprise before hugging him back.

" _Yes, I know it now, I love her,"_ Ichigo thought as held her.

" _Hmmm, I'm sure now, I care about him and I'm glad he's home but I'm no longer in love with him,_ " thought Orihime as she returned his embrace.

They didn't know it then, but it turned out that absence had made one heart grow fonder and one heart farther.

 **Author's note: Ok, I feel like this chapter (my longest yet I think) may lose me some readers but I really hope not. I understand that Renji and Rukia's reconciliation may have felt rushed given the volatile way they parted but to be honest I just couldn't drag it out. Obviously this chapter featured the theme of time and distance healing wounds and bringing revelation. I have written, read, re-written, slept on and re-thought the directions I've led these characters in this chapter and just hope that the OOC moments are not sources of frustration but opportunities to enjoy these characters in a new light. Also, I know I have not expounded much on the mystery surrounding the reason why Orihime ended up in Tokyo but quite frankly I've been having too much fun moving their various relationships forward. I hope people are enjoying this and will continue to read even if they don't always agree with what I do with the characters. Also, Ichihime lovers please don't hate me, I'm not writing fluff (well, some here and there) so there are going to be bumps in the road just like real life. Ok, I'll end this super long chapter here.**


	22. Chapter 22 - Something in the Way You

**Author's Note:**

 _ **Casey525**_ **: I'm so glad you felt the reconciliation worked for Renji and Rukia. I was stressing over it, lol.**

 _ **anthony11899**_ **: This is officially a RenHime fic. Don't get me wrong, I love IchiHime fics and read them all the time but because there are so many of him and her (or him and Rukia which frankly I just don't like as much) I wanted to challenge myself to write her with Renji. I've read just a handful of RenHime fics and felt like I should add on to the pile. I hope this is not too disappointing and that you will still enjoy the story. Most likely I will end up writing another fic as an IchiHime pairing but that is not this story.**

 **So here we'll have things heating up a bit between Renji and Orihime. I was listening to Ellie Goulding's "Something In the Way You Move" when this chapter played out in my mind, particularly the dancing so give it a listen if you want to. Because of its influence on it I decided to name the chapter after it. During the dance scene I pictured that song playing in the club so there's that.**

Waking Up – Chapter 22 – "Something in the Way You Move"

In the days following Ichigo's return spring break had begun so he did not have classes. It was a welcomed change of pace given the strenuous work load he'd been under. He'd found out that Orihime had planned a spring break reunion with their friends coming to Tokyo.

"I was originally going to have us go somewhere but figured since you'd just returned from a long journey you would appreciate it more if everyone came here," she'd said when she told him about it.

" _That's Inoue, always thinking of others,_ " he'd thought with a slight grin. He admired her care for others and found it was another quality that drew him to her. He had stuck with his plan of taking things slowly especially since this was all new to him. He'd never pursued a girl before and had no idea what the hell he was doing!

" **I'm telling you King, just grab her and kiss her, that will get the point across quickly,"** his Hollow had said lustfully. Ichigo had told him to go to hell. " **Already there King, watching you botch this whole thing up.** "

The plans were to have Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chad come from their various areas of the globe to enjoy a week with them. He was surprised to learn Rangiku, Yoruichi and even Kisuke were coming too. With himself, Orihime, Renji, Uryu and Rukia it was going to be quite the group but he was surprisingly looking forward to it. He'd missed his friends and was looking forward to seeing them. Well, all but maybe Rangiku since the woman annoyed him to no end. The night after all had arrived (to allow for jet lag and getting settled in) Orihime had planned an outing to a newer club in the heart of Tokyo.

"Wait, a club? Most of us are underage, how are we going to get in?" Ichigo had asked her.

"Oh, that's the best part! This is 18 and over and they have wrist bands for anyone who is 21 or older and wants to drink. No wrist band, no drink! It's perfect!" she exclaimed happily. She had advised to everyone that it was a fancier dress code so the guys couldn't wear jeans and the gals needed to wear somewhat fancier dresses, although they didn't have to be floor length. More like cocktail dress level and up.

The day of the club outing all the girls got together to go shopping. It was one of the best days Orihime had in a long time. Soon all giggling and having a great time trying on all various types of dresses. Rukia found a red halter top short dress with black strappy sandals. She looked like a completely different person trying it on and all the girls encouraged her to get it. Tatsuki, who hated dresses, was struggling to find something she felt comfortable in.

"Do I really have to wear a dress Orihime? You know how I am about those things," she'd whined.

"What is the big deal, didn't you have to wear skirts all through high school?" asked Rangiku.

"Well, yeah, but I could still wear flat comfortable shoes and they weren't sexy! I have no idea how to dress sexy, it's just not in my nature!" the karate fighter countered.

"Well, surely we can find you something, don't give up yet," Orihime had said.

They kept digging through the racks of clothing until Yoruichi found something she thought the tomboy could handle. It was a bandage style dress, cut to her knees with a slight slit in on the right side. It covered her chest completely and had an open back with a high collar that clasped in the back. The color was black so she wouldn't stand out too much but with how perfect it fit her they doubted whether she wouldn't garner attention anyway. They paired it with small heeled white leather booties so she would feel comfortable standing and dancing.

Rangiku of course had no problem showing off every asset she possessed so her problem was too many options. She decided on a hot pink floor length flowing dress with plunging neckline and silver high heels. She was already tall so the heels made her look like an Amazon goddess but she was able to pull off the look.

Yoruichi chose a one shoulder short electric blue dress that set her eyes off even more than usual. She found black heels with straps that wound their way up her legs to just below her knees.

Orihime was also having a bit of trouble because while she wanted to try to get out of her comfort zone she felt odd about everything she tried on. She had a slim waist but because of her curves everything either fit so tight she could barely breathe or move or she picked something that was too big and didn't fit right.

Finally she found the perfect dress and even she was impressed with how it looked. The color was emerald green with a corset top embroidered with black swirls that looked like vines. The cut was high enough that her cleavage wasn't spilling out but was definitely standing at attention. The skirt was long flowing layered chiffon with two slits cut up on each side to the middle of her thighs. When she was standing still you couldn't really tell there were slits but when she walked (or danced she figured) she would be showing quite a lot of leg. She liked it though because it allowed her to dress sexily without showing too much skin all the time. And the color made her hair shine even more while he eyes looked almost smoky grey. She decided on gold four inch strappy heels. Because of her training she'd gotten a lot more sure footed and knew she could handle them.

Everyone was stunned to silence when she came out of the dressing room and she blushed. "Um, so, what do you think girls?" she asked hesitantly.

Rukia laughed and said "I think the boys are going to have aneurysms when you come out in that!"

All the girls laughed and Rangiku said, "Yeah girl, thanks for showing us all up!"

"What are you talking about? You're all beautiful and sexy and powerful!" Orihime exclaimed and they smiled at her. Whether she did or not they all knew she would be the bell of the..well club since it wasn't a ball.

After they had made their purchases the girlfriends headed to get some lunch. Rangiku and Rukia were walking behind the group next to each other.

"I'm so glad you and Renji were able to make up, it was just so wrong with you not being friends," Rangiku said.

"I know, I'm glad it worked out," Rukia replied.

"Oh my goodness, I cannot wait to see Ichigo's face when he sees her in that dress! I think that boy is finally coming to his senses about her," Rangiku continued with a little giggle. She'd noticed the attention of the substitute shinigami had been more focused on the healer than any time previously when she'd seen them together.

Rukia had a mischievous look in her eye when she glanced up to the taller woman and said, "Oh me too, but it's not only Ichigo you should be watching."

The busty woman snapped her head to look down at the shorter woman and said, "Oh, who else has eyes for our Hime? Ishida? I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a handsome man but I just don't see him dragging her attention away from Ichigo." 

Rukia smiled wider and said, "Oh no, not him. They are very much just friends. He's like her brother. No, there is someone else who I am very much interested to see how this evening goes with." 

"Who? Who?" Rangiku was jumping with excitement.

"Just wait and see, I don't want to spoil the surprise," Rukia said with a laugh and wouldn't go on.

All the women were over at Rangiku's hotel room getting ready for the evening. The men were in charge of getting the transportation. Ichigo decided they should surprise them with a limo. Of course, he was really thinking of making Orihime happy but it served his purpose to say it was for all of them. The guys all agreed that they wanted to do something special for the girls so they found a rental place that had a limo large enough to hold 12 people. It was fairly expensive but none of them really cared, they were in the mood to celebrate since they were all together. They had all dressed up as instructed, most of them in black suits save for Kisuke and Uryu with varying colors of ties and shirts.

Renji wore all black with a green tie, Ichigo was in white shirt and red tie, Kisuke wore a grey suit with black and white striped shirt and purple tie and black hat, Uryu was in a white suit with blue tie. Keigo also wore a white shirt but with a silver tie, Mizuiro was in grey shirt with maroon tie, and Chad wore a black shirt with white tie. They all looked sharp as they stood waiting for the women to come downstairs.

Said ladies were on their way in the elevator when Rukia exclaimed she had forgotten her purse. Orihime realized she had forgotten hers too and offered to get both of them. The girls step off the elevator and Orihime headed back upstairs.

When the ladies had exited the lobby all the men stood gob smacked at how beautiful they all looked.

"Wow, I need to hang around with you guys more often," Keigo said.

" _Where's Orihime?_ " thought Ichigo and Renji at the same time.

Rukia had hurried up to Renji and when she saw his green tie she about lost it, it was just too perfect. "Where's Orihime?" he asked her.

"Getting our purses, why don't you go escort her?" she said with a mischievous grin.

He cocked one eyebrow curiously but did what she said. He rode up the elevator and stepped out into the hallway of where Rangiku's room was located. Striding up to the door he knocked. "Sorry Rukia, I had to find my lipstick and then make sure I had my ID, I thought for sure I had everything all together," he heard her saying as she came to the door.

When she opened it he thought his heart was going to stop. She looked like a goddess. Her hair was clipped up with some small wisps hanging on each side of her face , bangs swept to the side and her pins in place. Her dress was flawless, hugging every curve perfectly and the color magnificent. He felt a burning in his stomach and a slight tightening lower than that. " _Oh, this is bad. It's good, but it's very bad,"_ he thought wondering how in the hell he was going to get through the night with her looking like that.

"Oh hi Renji! Wow, you look so good," she said looking at his suit and then noticing his tie color she blushed. " _Oh, my, how am I going to get through this with him looking so hot?"_ she thought. She was surprised she hadn't realized just how handsome he was but then again for years she'd only had eyes for Ichigo.

"Orihime," he said and he knew his voice was husky but he couldn't help it, he could barely breathe looking at her, "You are quite literally breathtaking." She blushed almost crimson at his words and tone but managed to say thank you.

They were still staring at each other when Renji's brain finally got enough blood to it to realize there were 9 other people waiting for them. 

"Um, come on, we should get going, the others are waiting for us, got everything you need?" he asked managing to make his voice sound almost normal again.

She jolted out of her stare and said, "Yes, sorry, let's go," as she stepped out of the room and shut the door. He offered her his arm with a smile and she took it returning the smile.

They stood silently in the elevator, neither really sure what to say because they were both feeling nervous and awkward. There was something burning between them but neither was sure the other felt it.

They walked out, still arm in arm, and again everyone was stunned. The girls knew what she was wearing of course but seeing her walking next to the handsome, tall shinigami with her arm through his was a site to behold. Rangiku hitched her breath and turned her eyes to Rukia who was already looking at her with a look that said, " _See? I told you._ "

Rangiku next looked to Ichigo whose eyes were wide and mouth almost hanging open. Then he scowled slightly as he realized Renji had not relinquished Orihime's arm.

" _What the hell is going on here?"_ he thought.

"What are we all standing around for, let's get going," Renji said and then looked down to the woman next to him, "You ready to go have a good time?" She nodded and then let go of his arm to walk towards the group. The men allowed the women to get in and then followed them. Ichigo had ended up next to Orihime and said, "You look beautiful." She blushed and replied with her thanks, saying he looked very nice himself.

The ride was about 30 minutes and soon they were all talking and laughing together. When they'd arrived the men piled out first and each waited at the door of the limo to escort the women. Kisuke took Yoruichi, Chad took Tatsuki, Renji took Rangiku, Ichigo took Orihime and Uryu took Rukia.

As they were walking to the entrance Chad leaned down to Tatsuki's ear and said, "You look amazing by the way." She blushed furiously and smiled weakly before saying thanks. All eyes were on the group as they made their way to the VIP entrance and some were even wolf whistling at the ladies despite their fierce looking escorts. Orihime stepped up and gave her name. They found it quickly and looking at all the beautiful women the bouncer said, "No cover charge, go have a good time." Orihime's eyes widened and she thanked the man before moving on through the doors. She had secured a VIP room for them as well so they would have a place to retreat to if they wanted and the ladies could leave their bags unattended since the room had a bar scan lock on it that was programmed to the wrist bands they had been given when they'd checked in.

The club was amazing and the music perfect with a live DJ. It wasn't so loud that it burst ear drums but the beat was heavy and pretty much everyone in the place was dancing. They weaved their way through to their designated room and Orihime scanned her wrist band. They heard a click and Ichigo opened the door. Inside they found refreshments set up on a side table and comfortable couches and chairs along with cubbies for bags. The girls each deposited their stuff in the shelves.

"Ok, who's ready to dance?" Rangiku said and all the girls raised their hands. The guys were of course more reluctant but knew there was no way they were allowing the girls out of their site when they looked like that. Despite the fact that all of them could handle any human male just fine (even Orihime at this point with her training) they just couldn't help feeling protective.

Renji surprised everyone by stepping forward and taking Orihime's hand asked, "May I have this dance?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she nodded yes. She was nervous as hell but had been hoping he'd ask her to dance. They headed out the door both oblivious to Ichigo staring after them. Rukia saw the look and though her inclination with the strawberry was to tease him she knew it was not good to do it now. He looked stunned and a little crestfallen.

"Ichigo," she said and he whipped his head to look at her, "Come dance with me, I haven't seen you in too long." He nodded and followed her out. The rest of the gang had paired off but as they exited the room they all froze. They could see plainly where Renji and Orihime were dancing. It was easy to spot them because their hair colors were both so bright in the sea of black, brown and blonde they stood out. Plus, whether it was because of Renji's intimidating physique or because they were a breathtaking pair, people had given them a little more room making it so they almost had a circle around them. They were perfectly in sync with one another and seemed oblivious to anyone around them.

Orihime had her back to him and was swaying her hips while keeping her hands lifted in front of her moving to the beat of the music. Renji was almost touching her but kept his distance to be respectful. However, she soon closed the gap and pulled his arm around her waist. Rukia felt her face flush at the bold move. " _You go girl,"_ she thought with a smile. They kept dancing and soon Renji's other hand was on her waist and had turned her around to face him. They were looking at each other, still keeping perfect time with the music and each other.

Before Renji realized what he was doing he'd lifted one hand up to the back of her head and pulled out the clip keeping her hair up. It cascaded around her in curls of fire and she looked even more amazing. He kept his hand behind her head, fingers wrapped in her hair and their foreheads touched while they kept dancing.

"Wow, they…they're…"Rangiku stuttered, not believing what she was seeing.

"HOT!" Tatsuki finished for her with a laugh, "Wooo boy, they're going to catch fire if they're not careful. Come on Chad, let's go," she said and grabbed the big man's hand. They walked up close to Orihime and Renji and she leaned over to Orihime saying, "Careful, you're going to combust soon." Orihime flushed crimson but Renji simply laughed which made her relax again. They kept dancing as Chad and Tatsuki joined them. The pair joining them had somewhat broken the spell for the rest of their group as they made their way to the dance floor save for one person: Ichigo. He kept staring at the two red heads and was slowly getting more and more ticked. Rukia was waiting for him but he wouldn't move. Suddenly he turned and looked at her, "Sorry, I'm not really in the mood, Uryu can dance with you." Then he turned and went back into the VIP room.

 **Author's Note: Whew! Go Orihime! I like writing her getting out of her shell a little bit more and love the idea of her and Renji getting caught up in the moment and dancing like there is no tomorrow. I know this was a little short but it was a scene that has been playing in my mind for a while now and I wanted to get it out there. Hope it was enjoyed!**


	23. Chapter 23 - Heaven and Hell

**Author's Note: So after posting that last chapter I thought it would be fun to write the dance scene from Renji and Orihime's point of view. We need to know what's going on in their minds right? So this starts right before Renji asks Orihime to dance and we'll go from there. Also, the action heats up and we find some of the reason for Soul Society to have been worried.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 23 – "Heaven and Hell"

Renji had just entered into the VIP room behind Rangiku when she asked who was ready to dance. He hadn't been sure if he even could though he figured he knew enough to get by but when he'd seen Orihime in her dress he just knew he had to ask her to dance. He felt like there was something simmering between them especially since Rukia had pointed out Orihime's changed behaviors around him. It wasn't always present but there were those times she would blush at something he said (usually complimenting her) or stuttering. Just subtle things but he wasn't going to ignore them like a certain orange haired ryoka.

So when he saw Orihime raise her hand as one who was ready to dance he didn't hesitated. He strode up to her as confidently as he could, took her hand and asked, "May I have this dance?" The light in her eyes made every butterfly in his stomach worth it. He could tell she really wanted to dance with him. He escorted her out the door and back down the stairs (the VIP rooms were elevated above the main floor).

The music was a fairly fast tempo but he had been observing some of the people around him and figured if he did similar to them he'd be alright. He was surprised at Orihime's dancing skills. For someone usually so shy she certainly knew how to move her body! Her hips swayed, arms followed the beat as she stood in front of him. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He was just close enough that she would know he was there but he didn't plan on touching her like all the other couples he saw around them. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, especially since all their friends were there. However she surprised the hell out of him by moving back quickly and pressing right into him as she danced. Before he could pull back to give her room she whipped her arm around, grabbed his hand and pulled it to encircle her waist! His heart was thundering but he kept his arm where she wanted it.

Orihime couldn't believe how she was dancing with Renji or that she had just grabbed him to hold her! " _Could I appear any more desperate? He's probably wondering what the heck I'm thinking,"_ she thought but couldn't bring herself to change their position. She enjoyed the feeling of him next to her, moving in time with her and the music. She felt herself blushing as she felt Renji's strong form against her and closed her eyes just reveling in the feeling of being this close to him. All she could hope was that she hadn't misread the look in his eyes when he'd first seen her at the hotel. He looked like he wanted her and she knew now that she wanted him too. Grabbing his arm to touch her had been instinctual and for once she went with her instinct, hoping it would pay off.

She soon found it had when Renji of his own accord put his other hand on her waist and turned her to face him. She wasn't sure she'd be able to meet his eyes; she was such a mix of nervousness, excitement and embarrassment at her forward actions. But she knew he wouldn't touch her without permission so she'd given it without words. She forced herself to meet his eyes and inhaled sharply. She saw the same look of desire she knew she had to have in her eyes reflected back to her in his. Though his eyes were intense his face was relaxed and she was glad to see he was enjoying being with her like this too. Looking in his eyes the whole room seemed to disappear and suddenly it was just them in the world, no one else. She couldn't believe how quickly she'd fallen for him but there was no denying it. She knew this went beyond just physical attraction or a transfer of affection from Ichigo during his absence. He'd been able to handle her heart and soul with strength and respect and made her feel like a contributing force to their cause even when she couldn't do anything the past six months. He believed in her abilities and had encouraged her like so no else ever had. He made her feel like a woman instead of a little girl.

Renji couldn't believe this was happening and it felt like a dream as he held her closer to his body, feeling her heat and her soft curves against him as they moved in time with the music. Her eyes were flashing and she was smiling. God, he loved her smile, it lit up her whole face. Without thinking better of it he found his hand moving up from her waist to slide up her neck. He felt her intake a breath but she didn't stop him. He grabbed the clip holding her hair and pulled it out easily. Her hair cascaded and fell in perfect ringlets of fire around her face and he couldn't believe how gorgeous she looked. He couldn't help running his fingers into her hair and keeping his hand behind her head. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, eyes never leaving hers.

Orihime couldn't believe she was able to keep standing let alone keep dancing with how weak her knees felt and the pace at which her pulse was beating. Renji's hand in her hair made her feel sexy and she never wanted to leave his side. She was so tempted to kiss him right then and there but something in her mind said it wasn't the right time for that. Thankfully Tatsuki distracted her when she heard her voice say next to them, "Careful, you're going to combust soon." It was like a splash of cold water to hear her friend's voice and she turned to look at her flushing as she realized all their friends were witnessing her wanton behavior. But the look in Tatsuki's eyes was not reproachful, in fact, she looked proud. Renji had laughed at what she said and that made Orihime relax again. She turned all the way around to face Tatsuki and they danced together while their partners were dancing behind them. Orihime was surprised to see it was Chad with her, never figuring he'd be one to want to dance but he was surprisingly good.

Soon all their friends were around them dancing and laughing, having a great time. All that is, except Ichigo. She looked around for him but didn't see him. Seeing Rukia heading over to them she asked, "Where's Kurosaki-Kun?"

The dark haired shinigami answered, "Oh, he said he wasn't really feeling like dancing so he's still in the VIP room."

Orihime frowned and turned to Renji, "I'm going to go check on him, part of the reason I even planned this was for him." He nodded and she walked away to the stairs to head to their VIP room. Renji watched after her and felt a tug at his sleeve.

"Don't worry, it's very apparent she wants you," Rukia said and he nodded again but still looked in the direction Orihime had gone.

Orihime entered the room to find Ichigo sitting on one of the couches, leaning back seemingly comfortable but starting at the corner of the room. He hadn't acknowledged her so she wondered if he was really feeling sick or perhaps extra tired. She said, "Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?"

At her words he looked at her with a look she'd never seen before and it surprised her because she was fairly sure she knew all his looks. Finally he roused himself enough to speak, "Yeah, Inoue, I'm fine, just tired I guess." 

She could tell he was lying but wasn't sure why. He had been so enthusiastic about tonight originally (which had also been odd for him) and had even been the one to plan getting the limo. She walked over and sat next to him on the couch. "Kurosaki-kun, please tell me what's wrong, I know it's not that you are just tired," she said quietly reaching her hand out and touching his knee. He stood up swiftly as though she'd burned him and her eyes widened.

He walked away towards the door, he hand over his mouth and breathing heavy. "I…I can't talk about it right now Inoue, please try to understand," he said somewhat gruffly. She was so confused it was giving her a headache. Without another word he left the room. She sat there a bit longer but resolved to follow him. She was worried and couldn't stay away.

Renji watched as Ichigo strode out of the club and in his wake was Orihime. He went to follow them but Rukia stopped him. "Let them be, trust me you can't help with this," she said.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Come on Renji, open your eyes. Have you really not seen the difference in how Ichigo has been acting around Orihime? He just realized tonight he's too late to do what he should have done all this time," she said. His eyes widened and he looked at the door again just as Orihime disappeared through it after Ichigo. "Are you sure he's not too late?" he said quietly and her eyes softened.

"Renji, you know that Orihime would have never danced with you like she did if she didn't have feelings for you, she's just not that kind of girl, have faith in her. She's worried about him because he's her friend and it's how she is, you know that," she encouraged. He sighed and nodded before they went back to their friends to try to continue having a good time while they were there.

Orihime was having a hard time keeping up with Ichigo both because of his longer strides, he was walking fast and she had high heels on. Though she was more coordinated that she'd been previously in her life it was no mean feat to walk briskly in four inch heels. "Kurosaki-kun wait!" she called after him but he either didn't hear her over the traffic or was purposefully ignoring her. She kept following him as best she could until he turned a corner and she lost sight of him. She rounded the same corner but despite his orange hair she could not find him. She turned around and looked the other direction. She looked up to see if perhaps he'd flash stepped to the roof. She reached out seeking his reiatsu but he was masking it surprisingly well. " _I guess he really doesn't want to talk to me,"_ she thought sadly, wondering what she could have done to make him so upset. She thought they had been making progress in their friendship since he'd returned but now she wasn't so sure.

She had still been walking lost in her thoughts when she looked around and realized she wasn't sure where she was. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings since she had kept her eyes on Ichigo's head as he had bobbed and weaved through the Tokyo crowd. Now she had somehow ended up in a fairly secluded ally way and didn't know how to get back to the club. She kept walking, making turns here and there but couldn't figure out which way to go. And she couldn't follow her friends' reiatsu because they were all masking to try to avoid attracting hollows. Suddenly she heard steps behind her and felt the hair on her neck stand up.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a soft menacing voice said.

She turned and found a man standing near her. Before she could react he had grabbed her throat and pushed her up against a wall. "Aren't you a pretty one?" he asked running a leering look over her body. She felt her skin crawl as she struggled against his grip. She knew she could defend herself with Tsubaki but could easily kill him and she couldn't use her powers without revealing herself. Soul Society had been more antsy about that lately as in their latest report they'd found spirit sensors placed in major cities all over the globe. Whoever was seeking her out was waiting for her to show herself and none knew how quickly they could get to her if they found her so she'd been told to not use her powers at all. She of course had her fighting training but she'd been taken unaware and the man was very strong.

She let out a gasp trying to get more air as he was squeezing her neck, her hands clenching his wrist trying to get him to let go but he just chuckled darkly. It was then he looked at her hands and saw her ring.

"Hmmmm, this looks interesting," he said as he reached for her hand. Before she'd thought better of it she had whipped her hand and slapped him. Her eyes grew wide as his filled with rage. He tightened his grip more and she felt herself starting to lose consciousness. When her hands fell limp at her sides he let her drop to the ground and as oxygen rushed into her lungs she coughed. Then he reached down and grabbed the hand with the ring. "Now then, wouldn't it have just been easier to give this to me without all that fuss?" he asked and took the ring off her finger.

"NO!" she screamed with surprising force but it was too late. It couldn't have been one minute since the ring left her finger when a hole ripped open in the sky. The man of course couldn't see it but he felt something change in the atmosphere. "What the hell?" he said as he turned and suddenly he was knocked across the street, landing heavily against the sidewalk. He didn't get up and Orihime wondered if he were dead. She hadn't seen what had hit him because it had moved so fast but now as she slowly stood up someone landed in front of her and her eyes grew wide with terror.

"Hey princess, long time no see," she heard an all too familiar voice say gloatingly. She found herself staring into the cyan eyes of none other than Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. She couldn't even scream she was so terrified. This felt like a nightmare. " _Wake up, Wake Up, WAKE UP!_ " she screamed at herself over and over but knew it was fruitless. This was real; the Arrancar was really standing in front of her. He grinned wickedly and roamed his eyes over her, "Wow, you grew up since I last saw you, not bad, not bad at all," he said with a laugh. When she still didn't say anything he frowned. "What? No thank you for saving you from that scumbag?" he asked pointing to the crumpled man on the ground.

She dared not move her eyes from him, though what she could really do against him she didn't know. He sighed and said, "Well, as fun as reunion has been I think it's time to business," he sneered sarcastically. He reached toward her and she finally felt her limbs moving. Her training kicked in and she knocked away his arm as she turned to run. She knew she couldn't out run him but she had to stall until her friends could get there. She hated that she still had to rely on them but she knew she was no match for Grimmjow. He had been surprised at the contact and actually stood still a moment before smirking and running after her. He didn't even have to use flash step to catch her he was so fast. In what felt like the blink of an eye he had her about the waist but she wasn't going down without a fight. She flung both her elbows back and caught him in the gut actually causing him to release her again more out of surprise than pain.

He caught up to her again and said as he whipped her around to face him, "Silly woman, you know this just ups the enjoyment factor for me right? Hell, I might be tempted to keep letting you go just to chase you down! You are much more fun than you were the first time you went to Hueco Mundo." Her eyes burned with fire at him and he was again surprised as she said in a strong voice, "I will never go back there, you will have to kill me this time Grimmjow." With that she punched him in the face with every ounce of strength she had and he let out a grunt of surprise. She hit him again and again before flung her down and pinned her. "Wow, what the hell's got into you? Be careful, princess, you might just have me falling for you yet," he said his face hovering right over hers.

She sneered back and flung her head forward to head butt him, glad that she had always had such a hard head. She hit him hard enough for his hand to go up to his face and with her arms free she hit him again. She was trying not to panic and just flail at him but to make her contacts count. " _Where is everyone, don't they feel his reiatsu?"_ she thought as she continued to try to get away. She managed to raise her knee forcefully into his groin. Arrancar or not he was still a male and thus susceptible to a hit there. He groaned and released her enough for her to skirt out from under him and take off running again. But he recovered quickly and was bearing down upon her.

Orihime shouted out, "Koten Zanshun!" Out flew Tsubaki heading straight for her attacker but he never made it. There was a flash of light and he was suddenly gone. Orihime could not longer feel him. "Tsubaki!" she screamed as Grimmjow caught her again pressing her up against the wall by her shoulders and glaring into her grey eyes with his fierce cyan ones. "Now, that was just dirty little lady, you should really learn some manners," he growled. He was holding her so hard that she knew she would have bruises on her shoulders. "Let me go!" she screamed still struggling to get away, "Where is Tsubaki, what did you do with him? Tell me, where he is?!"

He placed one hand over her mouth but the second her arm was free she elbowed him again. He grabbed her arm again and squeezed hard enough that she was sure he was going to crush it. "Do. Not. Tempt. Me," he said deliberately as he kept the pressure on her causing tears to flow from her eyes in pain. They stared at each other for a moment and were Orihime not in so much pain and fear she might have felt proud of the fact that she'd actually caused the Sexta Espada damage and that he was breathing harder than normally. "Now princess, it seems we've started out with the hard way but I can make this easier for you. Just call your other little fairy friends out here and I'll be on my way," he said his face inches from hers. She was amazed she could meet his stare with her own and said, "No, never, I'm not giving them to you!" He'd raised his fist and said, "Ok, then, I guess I'll have to make you." As his fist descended she closed her eyes ready for the impact.

But the punch never landed. She opened her eyes to see a site that made her heart sing. Renji had grabbed the arm of the advancing fist and said through clenched teeth, "I should have killed you when I had the chance you bastard, but now I have even more reason to. Let. Her. Go!" Grimmjow had growled but then smirked as he let go of her to swing Pantera towards Renji. He clashed with Zabimaru.

"Orihime, run!" Renji commanded and she didn't hesitate.

She ran towards Rukia, Rangiku and Yoruichi all also in shinigami form. Uryu had his bow drawn and Chad's Fullbringer armor was out.

Somehow Grimmjow had countered Renji back and flash stepped to Orihime, grabbing her waist and hissed in her ear, "So you chose the hardest way, I wasn't going to take you but now you're coming with me bitch!" She shrieked as they flew into the sky towards the hole in the sky.

"Oh no you don't! Roar Zabimaru!" yelled Renji and his sword shot out towards them as from the other side came Ichigo in his shinigami form brandishing Zangetsu his eyes blazing. Orihime couldn't be sure but she thought she saw traces of black flickering in his eyes as he stared swung his sword down towards the Espada.

"Let her go you son of a bitch," he yelled in a deep fearsome tone. Grimmjow managed to block Zangetsu but Zabimaru made connection with Grimmjow's shoulder and drew blood. "Argh," he grunted but still did not relinquish his grip on her. She was sure he was gripping her hard enough to break her ribs. While he was distracted she bent forward causing him to look at her. She could feel the shift in his body and when she felt she'd timed it right she flung her head back as fast as she could hitting him square in the face. She was sure she heard bone breaking but whether it was his face or her head she couldn't be sure. All she did know was that between the shoulder injury, fending off Ichigo and the blow she'd just dealt him he let go of her and she was falling. She hadn't even had time to register that fact or scream before she felt strong arms around her and she was flying away from Grimmjow. She looked up to see she was safely secured in Renji's arms and he was using shunpo to get them as far away as possible leaving their comrades to deal with the enemy.

All of her adrenaline ceased at that point and she fainted as he kept moving. The rest of their group battled Grimmjow but despite being outnumbered he was still besting their efforts. Finally, when he saw that he couldn't advance to get the healer he decided to retreat with the small victory of having acquired one of the hairpin spirits. " _She'll come for him and when she does I'll get the rest of them,"_ he thought with a smile as he continued to clash swords with Ichigo. He was surprised to see the shinigami's eyes were slowly becoming more and more dark, the irises starting to turn yellow.

"Hmm, what's got you so pissed off?" he asked.

"What do you think you bastard, you come to take Inoue away again and you ask what's got me pissed?" he retorted forcefully.

"If you say so, but I think you're pissed someone other than you caught the princess, am I right?" he sneered.

Ichigo didn't reply but doubled his attack effort which was all the answer the Espada needed. He laughed and said "Oh, this is just too good to be true. You know she used to be in love with you right? She cried every night for you when we took her. Guess now she'll cry for that red-haired muscled baboon when I get her back again." He loved getting Ichigo pissed off; it made for a better fight. Ichigo bellowed out his frustration and his eyes went full black and yellow, his Hollow surfacing and actually starting to cause Grimmjow some trouble.

" _Crap, I'm going to have to get out of here if I plan on finishing this,"_ he thought to himself. Apparently it had been unspoken that Ichigo was handling the brunt of the battle because the rest of the shinigamis and their friends were simply watching.

"Gotta run boy, see you soon," Grimmjow laughed and flung himself back through the hole to Hueco Mundo before closing the portal. Ichigo had almost made it through but it slammed shut in front of him and he screamed in frustration.

"Uryu, what do we do now?" Chad asked looking as Ichigo turned around and they all saw his eyes.

Uryu took a deep breath and said, "Honestly, I am not sure, but this is not good. Even though his strength is needed against Grimmjow Ichigo's Hollow is just too unpredictable and blood lustful."

Ichigo had returned to the ground by now and was facing his friends, his eyes fully black and yellow. Before anyone could do anything he'd flash stepped away after Renji and Orihime.

"Crap," Rukia said, "Come on, let's go, I think I know where they are headed." They followed her as they made their way to the safe house.

Renji had reached there with Orihime still unconscious. He rushed her upstairs and laid her on her bed before checking her vitals. Her pulse was weak and he was sure she probably had some sprains if not breaks to some of her bones from when she'd fought with Grimmjow. He couldn't help but be proud of her. She'd fought like hell and actually made some damage. He'd noticed the scratches and even the beginning of a bruise on the Espada and couldn't believe his beautiful healer had dealt such effective blows. " _Wait, my beautiful healer?"_ he thought surprised. Then he sighed, realizing that what he was feeling was not a fleeting infatuation or a mere appreciate of beauty. He couldn't quite say he loved her yet though the word kept dancing in his mind. All he knew was that things were going to be different now in so many ways. He shook himself from this line of thought and went to get her water. He had to get her to wake up and stay awake until they could determine whether she had a concussion from the heavy hit she'd wielded with her head to Grimmjow's face. The memory made him smile with pride again.

So he fluffed up the pillows but he couldn't lay her against them since she was slumping awkwardly. He decided to sit behind her with his back to the pillows and leaned her up on to his chest.

"Orihime, wake up, come on, you have to wake up," he said firmly shaking her shoulders. Slowly she opened her eyes and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mmmmm? Where..am I?" she asked sleepily.

"You're home love, but you were beat up pretty bad and hit your head against that bastards face with a vengeance so you need to stay awake until we can get someone from Fourth to look at you," he answered calmly. " _Did I just call her love? Oh boy, I am in trouble,"_ he thought. He was stroking her hair to comfort her and it was so soft he couldn't believe it.

"From Fourth, but I can heal…" she began but as her voice trailed off her hand flew to her hair and her eyes widened as she remembered what had happened before her friends arrived. She shot up off of Renji and stood by the bed with a look of horror on her face. "He took Tsubaki, oh Kami, he took him!" She was panicking, eyes wide and starting to hyperventilate, "Oh Renji, we have to get him back, we just have to, what…. am I …. going to do?" her voice was filled with grief. He stood up and wrapped his strong arms around her, gathering her small form into his chest.

"Shhhhhh, it's ok, we'll get him back but you have to calm down love, shhhh," he said holding her tightly. Her body wracked with sobbing, her fists clenched against his chest and face buried against him.

"I thought I was strong….enough to use him…and now he's gone!" she gasped and hiccupped as she spoke. "Why was I so stupid?!" she shrieked suddenly and cried harder. He didn't think she could possibly have any more tears but they kept coming.

"Orihime," he said forcefully and pulled her back out of his embrace as gently as he could to look into her eyes, "Love, you are not stupid. You were so brave! I am so proud of how hard you fought. I could see the damage you did to him with just your bare hands and head! You were doing the best you could, it's ok, please, stop beating yourself up. You've been through hell tonight, give yourself a break, please. We will do everything we can to get Tsubaki back." He was stroking her face as he spoke, pouring all the feeling and sincerity he could into his words, praying Kami she would really hear him. She inhaled ragged breaths and though she had tears still flowing they were diminishing as she looked deep into his eyes.

Finally she said with the faintest smile, "The end of the night may have been hell but my time dancing with you was heaven."

It wasn't how either would have expected or wanted it to happen. She because she was a mess with eyes red and puffy, sniffing furiously to keep her nose from running and adding to the mess of makeup on her face that had run down because of her tears and her body covered in dirt and scrapes.

Renji because he didn't want her to think he was taking advantage of her in this very vulnerable state but as they stood in silence after her last declaration neither could resist anymore. Renji leaned in with his hands cupping her face and Orihime closed her eyes as he placed his lips on hers ever so gently. It was a sweet, soft first kiss between two fighters. They parted after a moment and looked at each other again, both smiling despite all they had just faced and what was yet to come.

"Orihime," he said and she returned with, "Renji." Then he kissed her again with more intensity moving his hands to encircle her waist pulling her body flush to his. She returned the kiss with surprising strength as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss went deeper when he licked her lip slightly and she parted her mouth to welcome him in. They stood there for a long moment, exploring as they clung to one another. When the need for oxygen burned both their lungs they parted and stared into each other's eyes. Renji swept some hair from her face and smiled down at her.

"Come on, you should get cleaned up and then we'll dress your wounds. Fourth backup should be here soon," Renji said with a slight husk to his voice. His body was aching for her but there was no way he was going anywhere near that tonight. Besides the fact that she needed to rest and be healed they hadn't even officially established a relationship, though he felt that was well on its way. "I'll get one of the ladies to come help you," he said before he kissed her quickly and giving her hands a squeeze stepped around her to go seek assistance. Orihime sighed and touched her lips with her fingers. No, it hadn't been her ideal circumstances for her first kiss, but the emotions, the intensity, the sincerity, the trust, all of that had been there. She was so glad she'd given her first kiss to Renji.


	24. Chapter 24 - Princess Has Left the Tower

**Author's Note: Ok, so we'll continue on with the story now. Ichigo may seem a little OOC (heck they all are at this point) but I hope for those who have chosen to stick around and continue this tale it continues to be enjoyable to watch our favorite Bleach characters expanded.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 24 – "The Princess Has Left the Tower"

Ichigo had been making his way back to the safe house following Renji's spiritual pressure but suddenly changed directions quickly and moved as fast as he could to a secluded wood area.

" **What the hell are you doing King, we need to get to the princess!"** his Hollow screamed in frustration as Ichigo struggled to regain control of his body. He flung himself down on the ground and in his inner world was doing everything he could to take back over.

"No, I'm not letting you near her! It's already my fault that she was almost taken AGAIN and I will not allow you to terrify her too!"

" **King, no, no!"** screamed the Hollow as he felt Ichigo gaining control. His body slumped to the ground into its semi-unconscious state when both he and his Hollow were in his inner world. Ichigo wasted no time and flew at him. They clashed swords over and over as rain, thunder and lightning erupted around them suddenly as each struggled for dominance.

" **Come on King, we're wasting time!"** his Hollow insisted as they fought back and forth.

It was disarming to see him like this over a human woman or anything for that matter. What he hoped to accomplish was not clear to Ichigo but he didn't trust him. They had stop fighting for the moment, each looking at the other while they held their swords in front of them.

Finally Ichigo spoke firmly, "Look, I have no idea what the hell has gotten into you about Inoue and quite frankly I don't care. I don't want to try to understand you. I don't want to talk to you about her or anything else really. But I can see you're never going to stop until I at least talk to her. So," he took a deep breath not believing he was about to say what was coming out of his mouth, "I propose a truce and I will talk to her. Whatever her answer we leave her be? Agreed?"

The Hollow stared at him with venom but hadn't advanced. It was as if he were really considering this option. " _ **Why do I care? Why is that word even in my vocabulary?"**_ he thought measuring Ichigo's offer. He still wasn't sure why he had become obsessed with the woman. It was true, he was the manifestation of Ichigo's impulses and dark desires, but why was _**he**_ more insistent on this than his counterpart? It made no sense. All he knew was he wanted the woman, even if he had to feel her through King. His instinct kept telling him to fight until got what he wanted for himself, but King was remaining surprisingly in control. He'd have to bide his time again and so decided to agree, temporarily, to the truce.

" **Fine, King, go to her now, do what you must to make her ours,"** he replied and in his mind said, " _ **Because if you don't I'll do it for you."**_

Ichigo nodded and lowered his weapon, his Hollow doing the same. Then Ichigo resumed control of his body completely and woke up in the woods. Slowly he stood and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh, I hate that guy so much," he muttered as he started walking in the direction of the safe house. He was halfway there when he heard a honk. Looking over he saw the limo they had rented pulling up next to him. The door opened and Keigo motioned for him to get in. He did and found that Kisuke, Keigo, Mizuiro and Tatsuki had made sure to keep his body along with the other shinigamis gigais safe.

"We were just on our way to the house to return these when I saw you, are you ok?" Keigo asked. Ichigo was amazed at how calm the man was being given how he was in high school. But, he figured, with what Keigo and the rest of them had experienced in the war not too long ago watching over gigais was a walk in the park. Ichigo hadn't replied yet but fell into his body and then sat up.

"I'm fine, thanks for looking after me and the gigais," Ichigo said softly. His tone actually told Keigo that Ichigo was very much _not_ ok but he didn't want to push him. Soon they were at the house and had called for assistance.

When Ichigo walked through the door he saw Rukia, Yoruichi and Rangiku all still in their shinigami forms wielding their swords at him. It surprised him for a moment until he realized the last they had saw him his Hollow had taken control.

"It's ok, I'm back," he said half annoyed, half thankful. Rukia stared at his eyes for a moment longer and then put her weapon away. The other women followed suit.

"How's Inoue? Is she ok?" Ichigo asked his voice laced with guilt and regret.

"She's resting; she was roughed up pretty badly. The medic from Fourth just finished bandaging her wounds before you got here," Yoruichi said eyeing him with both pity and anger. He knew they were thinking the same thing. If he hadn't have left and Orihime followed him she wouldn't be in this situation.

"Wait, someone from Fourth had to heal her? Why didn't she use her powers to heal herself?" Ichigo asked frowning.

"For one, her energy is really drained and the medic didn't want her risking it. For another, we don't know how powerful Grimmjow's spiritual power receptors are so for now she is being told to not use her powers at all, for any reason," Rukia answered. "Oh, that reminds me," She continued, "I need to take this to her. Even with the reiatsu masking kido on the house it's best for her to wear it." In her hand was the reaitsu suppressor that she had recovered from the man who'd attacked Orihime originally. When he'd come to he'd flung it away and ran.

"Here, I'll take it to her," Ichigo said holding out his hand. She hesitated and said, "Ichigo..." but he interrupted her, "Please Rukia," the please startled her, "let me take it to her. I'd like to see her and…and apologize for everything." Despite her better judgment she gave him the ring and answered, "OK, but Renji's up there with her. Please don't upset her anymore than she already is." He flinched at the words but nodded his head and strode up the stairs.

The door was half closed so he tapped on it. He didn't hear anything but before he could step through Renji's large form was blocking the opening.

"Oh, you're here finally, you ok now?" he asked gruffly looking at Ichigo's eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm bringing this to Inoue and I'd like to talk to her," replied Ichigo irritated as he showed Renji the ring.

"She's been through enough without having to deal with you too, plus she's been given a sedative to help her sleep and she's already out," Renji countered with his own irritation.

Ichigo felt heat rising from his throat to his face as his anger spiked when Renji pushed him back and shut the door. The shinigamis stared at each other until Ichigo thought he was going to scream in frustration. All he could think about was getting to her and it was driving him crazy.

Finally he sighed and looking down said, "Fine, look, I know she's asleep, can…can I at least go in and put this on her finger?" He hated how pathetic he sounded in his own ears but he couldn't help it, he wanted to see her for himself. Renji scowled but nodded his agreement. As he stepped to the side and Ichigo reached for the door knob Renji grabbed his wrist, "Two minutes, that's it, any longer and I will come in and remove you, understand?" Ichigo merely nodded and Renji released him. He turned the knob and walked in, leaving the door open as he walked to her bed.

She had taken a shower and her hair was still damp, lying in fiery lengths on the pillow. Her heavy breathing indicated the sedative was working well; she was fast asleep despite her injuries. The tank top she was wearing allowed him to see the bruises where Grimmjow had gripped her. He was sure she had scratches up and down her body from the rough way she'd been handled in the ally. Guilt washed over him anew and he sighed. "Oh Inoue, I'm so, so sorry I let this happen to you," he said softly. Moving forward he took her right hand and put the ring back on her finger, holding her hand a moment longer before setting it back down on its partner where she had them folded over one another.

He stepped further forward and looked at her face. She looked like she was in no pain and he thanked Kami whoever Fourth had sent because they had done an excellent job. He heard Renji clear his throat causing him to look back. The big man moved his head in the direction of the door signaling Ichigo to exit. He put up his hand in a showing of agreement before turning back to Orihime. "I'll see you in the morning," he said leaning down and kissing the top of her head. Renji stiffened at the token of affection but didn't say anything.

Finally Ichigo left the room and followed Renji downstairs as Rukia made her way up.

"Renji, I'm taking the first guard shift," she said. He opened his mouth to protest but she put her hand over it, "Please, you need to rest too if you're going to be any good to her. Go downstairs and get a drink or something, you need to relax a bit. She's ok now; we'll all be here to look after her." He frowned but didn't continue with his argument. He kept moving down the stairs and Ichigo followed him. Renji grabbed a drink and sat in the living room in silence, Ichigo taking a seat across from him. Each had their minds and hearts focused on the beautiful healer upstairs.

Ichigo leaned forward on his knees and looked squarely at Renji before asking, "Abarai, what exactly is going on between you and Inoue?"

Renji shot him an angry look before taking a sip of his drink and answering, "None of your damn business Kurosaki."

Ichigo frowned deeply and said, "Look, I know it may not seem like it but I do care about her. I've always cared."

Renji scoffed and murmured into his glass as he took another drink, "You have a funny way of showing it." 

"What did you say?" Ichigo asked sharply with glaring eyes.

"I said you have a funny way of showing you care about her. I mean, come on Ichigo, you can't have been that clueless for so many years. Orihime all but threw herself at you, was at your beckon call _anytime_ you asked and even when you didn't," Renji was getting more heated the longer he thought about how much the girl had hurt over the idiot's ignorance of her.

Ichigo was fuming both with anger at the man in front of him and hatred of himself. He knew Renji was right but wasn't sure he could admit it him so instead he decided to attack.

"Oh and you care about her so much then?" he shot back which caused Renji's eyebrows to rise.

"Yes, what of it?" he answered.

"Only this," Ichigo said and he set his face in a grim countenance, "If there is anything going on between the two of you what are you going to do when this is all over? Huh? What's the first thing that is going to happen? You'll be going back to Soul Society and who's to say when you'll be back? Is she supposed to just wait for you?"

Renji's fist clenched and he had to resist decking the arrogant bastard then and there. But he knew Ichigo had a point. Though they had not established any formal relationship yet Renji had already put himself in that mind set. He'd been planning on talking with Orihime when she was feeling better. Their kiss made it pretty clear to him that she at least felt some of what he felt for her towards himself. However, how could it ever work if they were separated into two worlds? That wasn't fair to her or to him. He realized that while he'd been happy to have inexplicably and completely moved on from Rukia he had somehow traded one forbidden love for another. He couldn't stay here and she couldn't come with him.

As Renji reflected on these thoughts Ichigo saw his anger melt away to be replaced by true, deep sorrow and despite himself he felt bad for the guy. " _Wow, he really fell for her hard and fast,"_ he thought looking at the man, " _Then again, who am I to talk? I went years without ever thinking about her like that and now I'm all but willing to battle Renji for her if I thought that would work."_

They continued to sit in silence before Renji got up without a word and headed upstairs. Ichigo remained on the couch, determined that he would not be leaving but would either sleep there or offer himself for guard duty if they were willing to let him help. Eventually Rangiku walked in and saw him. He was not used to her being so quiet and figured the severity of the situation was greater than he realized.

"Ichigo, what are you still doing here? You need to rest," she said sitting down at the end of the couch he was partially reclined on.

He shook his head and replied, "I'm not going anywhere, I'll either sleep here or guard Inoue but I'm not leaving."

Her eyes softened and she patted his knee before she got up to walk to a closet and get him a spare blanket and pillow.

"Here, get some rest while you can, I have a feeling the days ahead are going to be long and hard," she said as she handed them to him. He thanked her and settled himself more comfortably but was doubtful whether he would really sleep. He was surprised though when his head hit the pillow and he was out almost immediately.

The next morning he rose early, the sun barely having come up. He'd dreamed of Inoue of course, of holding her like he longed to, kissing her, hearing her say to him the words she'd kept from him so long. Waking up from that dream had been painful. He shook his head and stood up surprised that he was not stiff from sleeping on a couch but then again this was a Kuchiki noble house, there would be nothing but the best here.

He went upstairs and found Renji standing guard outside Orihime's room. The men scowled when they saw each other but said nothing. Renji had not gotten much sleep due to thinking over and over again about what Ichigo had said regarding him and Orihime. As Ichigo reached him he said, "She's not up yet then?"

Renji shook his head but then it raised slightly and opening the door saw Orihime struggling to sit up. He opened the door fully and walked in to help her. She smiled as he approached and when Ichigo saw that smile his heart tightened painfully. He was suddenly flooded with memories of all the times she smiled like that at _him_ and cursed himself anew at having been so blind.

"Good morning," he heard her say weakly to Renji and he'd returned the sentiment as he sat on the bed near her taking her hand.

"How are you feeling?" Renji asked. She drew a deep breath and said, "I'm feeling much better after sleeping, and that sedative and healing kido did wonders! My muscles are already feeling stronger and my scrapes don't hurt as much."

"That's great, I'm so glad," he looking into her eyes. She kept waiting for him to kiss her but when he didn't make any move to do so she decided to take the initiative and leaned toward. But he stood up and said quickly, "Orihime, Ichigo is here and he wanted to talk to you, are you feeling up to it?" She'd frowned slightly at first when he'd moved away from her but when she heard what he said she figured it was because he was respecting the fact that maybe she wasn't ready for their new development to be discovered. She glanced to the door and saw Ichigo there.

"Yes, of course, please come in Kurosaki-kun," she said with a warm smile. He smiled back and came in.

"I'll leave you two to talk, but Orihime if you need me I'll be right outside the door ok?" Renji said and squeezed her hand. His lips had twitched, wanting to kiss her but he stopped himself both because Ichigo was there and because he was still trying to figure out what he should do.

Once he'd closed the door Ichigo indicated a spot on the bed and asked, "Inoue, would you mind if I sat here?"

She shook her head and he took a seat. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her and wondered again how he'd never seen just how beautiful she was. He'd always known she was attractive, he wasn't _that_ blind, but because of his compulsion to protect her he'd never let himself become fully aware of her beauty. He was aware now and it was heart stopping. Even in simple pajamas, no makeup and hair slightly mussed she was gorgeous.

She brought him out of his thoughts when she asked, "Renji mentioned you wanted to talk to me?" He blinked and realized he'd just been staring at her since asking to sit near her.

"Oh, um, yeah I did," he said unsure of how to proceed. Looking in her eyes it was so much harder to say what he wanted to but he knew if he didn't do it now he'd regret it. He took a deep breath and began, "Inoue, I wanted to apologize for last night. If I hadn't taken off like that you would have never been placed in danger."

She opened her mouth to protest but he boldly put his hand over her precious lips making her eyes widen in surprise at the contact as his other hand took one of hers and he continued, "No, please don't say anything. This…this is hard enough as it is." She nodded and he removed his hand from her mouth but continued keep her hand in his. He took another deep breath before saying, "Inoue, I have no idea what you're going to say after I say what I do next but I've heard confession is good for the soul so I have to say this. I have been an idiot, a complete and total fool when it comes to you. I hadn't realized until I was half way across the world just how much you mean to me." Her eyes, surprisingly, widened even more as she took in his words.

He took a shaky breath, not believing how much oxygen it was taking him to speak, "Grimmjow," and he saw her wince, "said something to me last night that I have to ask you about. While we were fighting he said…he said you were in love with me when they took you to Hueco Mundo. Now, is that true or did he say it just to get a rise out of me?"

She managed to choke out, "It…it's true."

The next question floored her, "Is it still true?"

Her eyes were glassed over with tears, one sliding down and then another in silent overwhelming emotion of what was happening. Here, after all this time and pain, was the man she'd loved for so many years hearing of her affections for him and looking for all the world like he now reciprocated them. But now, that love which had burned so fervently had burned itself away to ash. She cared for him deeply, but she did not love him like she had then.

Slowly she shook her head as the tears began flowing more when she saw his face fall.

"Inoue, why, what changed?" he asked with pain in his voice. Her eyes flickered to the door and now Ichigo frowned, anger taking over the pain.

"I see, of course, I guess that was fairly apparent last night" he said grimly and her eyes snapped back to his face but he was looking to the side at the bed. He was gripping her hand harder now and it was starting to hurt but she was afraid to move. He was so still it was eerie.

His Hollow was screaming to get out, to fix this, to make her see how foolish she was to think that anything of substance could happen with Renji when he'd be leaving her. Ichigo knew he'd stay by her side no matter what except now she didn't want him like that. Despite his fury at it his pride was hurt, his heart hurt, his whole _body_ hurt knowing what he'd had right in front of his damn face the whole time and now it was gone!

A slight whimper of pain snapped him back to himself and he realized he was gripping Orihime's hand way too hard in his anger. This pushed everything else out and he felt like an ass; he was probably scary the hell out of her. He released her hand but moved both hands to her softly grip her arms and looked in her eyes. She was still crying and he hated that he made her cry so much. He wondered how many times she'd cried and he'd not known and how many times it had been over him.

"Inoue, I know you don't have any reason to but I'm going to ask you to give me another chance, to prove myself to you. I know that I don't deserve you right now simply because I came to my senses and walked back into your life. We've both changed over the past seven months, it's almost like we don't know each other anymore. Can you do that? Can you at least give me a chance?" he said never removing his gaze from hers.

When she didn't answer right away he leaned forward and kissed her forehead saying, "Just think about it and let me know ok?" She nodded and then he got up and left the room. Renji watched him go but when he turned his site back into the room he almost went after him to deck him for making Orihime cry. But she beckoned to him and made a motion for him to shut the door.

He did as she asked and when he'd reached the bed she flung herself into his arms crying. It wasn't uncontrolled sobbing but more of sorrow instead of grief.

"Orihime, what did he say? What's wrong?" he said rubbing her back as he held her close. Her answer was singular: she leaned away from his body just enough to get in front of him and then pressed her lips firmly to his with arms still wrapped around his waist. He pulled back fairly quickly and tried to release her but she clung to him. 

"Renji, what's wrong? What changed since last night? Please talk to me," she said, her eyes still wet with tears but none were falling at the moment.

He still had his arms on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. They were so beautiful even with tears in them and he felt lost in their depths for a moment. He didn't want to let her go but he couldn't be so selfish to not think how much their absence from each other would pain both of them if they continued to give into their feelings for each other.

"Please, Renji, talk to me," she said again.

"First, tell me what Ichigo said, please?" he asked.

She inhaled a deep breath and repeated all that had happened. Renji was surprisingly calm holding her while she told him the man she had loved for her whole adolescent life wanted her to be his and he hers.

"Renji, I know what he says makes sense, to give him a chance, to see if we could make it work. It's not even picking up where we left off, because he's right, we're both so different now."

She'd taken another breath and he took it as the end of her sentence instead of a pause so he cast his eyes down as he said, "I see, well, I understand."

She frowned and touched his face causing him to look at her again, "No you don't Renji, you don't understand at all." He frowned in confusion before she continued, "What I was going to say is even though it makes sense I simply can't do it." His frown fell away to utter shock.

"Orihime, think about what you're saying, you've been wanting this for so long, how could you not even try?" he asked incredulously.

Now it was her turn to frown in confusion as she looked up into his face. She stepped back away from his embrace and crossed her arms in front of her, anger setting in her face which surprised him because she very rarely ever looked angry.

"If that's how you feel then what was last night about?" she asked harshly.

He winced slightly, seeing how badly this was going. Of course he didn't feel like that but he was trying to protect her from a worse mistake than trying to be with the one man she'd loved for years!

"Answer me, what the hell was last night if you were just planning on throwing me away," she said her voice raising slightly.

He frowned at that and said more forcefully than he meant to, "That's not what I was planning at all! It's just…it….I" he stuttered, not wanting to form into words the reality of his worries, his fear. He didn't want to lose her but what choice did he have?

"Renji, what is it?"

He sighed and forced himself to look into her eyes as he said the words that he was sure would shatter his heart, "It's because, I realized that something between us could never work. It's not fair to either of us to spend whatever time I have left here building up a relationship only to have to me leave for Soul Society eventually."

Her eyes grew wide and he realized he'd admitted to wanting to be in a relationship, a romantic relationship, with her in the worst way possible. He groaned and dropped his gaze, putting his hand over his eyes as he said, "Orihime, I think it's pretty apparent that I care for you deeply, but I just can't do that to you."

She still hadn't moved and he kept his hand over his eyes for the moment. Then he heard her voice say softly, "Renji Abarai, look at me." The use of his full name surprised him and he dropped his hand to snap his eyes to her face.

She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, staring deep into his eyes. Without another word she lifted herself up onto tiptoes and kissed him. It was soft as first but then she intensified it, pulling herself closer to him, willing his arms to wrap around her with how firmly she pressed her body against his. He clung to her and when she licked his lip he groaned allowing her to sweep her tongue in to meet his. The heat between their bodies was feverish and he ran his hand up her back to clasp her neck beneath her hair, wrapping it amongst his fingers as they kissed. She moaned into his mouth slightly and he felt his groin tightened at the sound. She was so luscious he couldn't believe it.

When they'd broken apart she looked in his eyes again and said, "Listen to me Renji, I know that Ichigo is who brought up these doubts in you. I can't even accuse him of doing it solely for his own gain because he always feels like he has to protect me from _everything_. And that is why I know I can't be together romantically with him, not anymore. Because pretty much since the day you and I sparred in the underground I've woken up to see that the way Ichigo would love me is not how I want to be loved."

His eyes grew wide at her choice of words as she continued, "I used to think it was, that I would be content to be his princess kept safe in the tower while he as my prince defended me and one day he would be my king and I would be his queen. But after Hueco Mundo and the war I realized that I want to be able to take care of myself too. And you, Renji Abarai, have been my warrior and allowed me to learn to fight alongside you. Though I know your strength is more than mine physically you have allowed me to grow strong emotionally and mentally. Your encouragement provided me with boldness I've never known, with confidence I used to only dream of. I don't mind being protected by you because I know you will let me protect you in return. So, yes, while this will be a very unconventional relationship I want to try with you if you'll have me."

He marveled at her as he thought this was not the same girl he'd met all those years ago. But then he realized it was; it just took her being released from her captivity as a princess to allow her true self to shine through. He smiled down at her serene face and kissed her deeply pouring everything he had into it to let her _feel_ his intensions, his devotion and his love. Because now, in this moment as crazy and fast as it had happened, he knew he loved her and would do anything for her.

When he'd pulled back she smirked up at him and said, "I'll take that as a yes then." He laughed and picked her up causing her to squeak slightly as her legs wrapped around his waist and they kissed again.


	25. Chapter 25 - Strength Despite Tears

**Author's Note: In response to the guest who feels I've written Rukia so poorly I will probably surprise some by agreeing with them to a point. I feel for my first fan fiction attempt I bit off a little more than I could chew giving her a main story line originally. Better would have been to leave her as a minor character and developed a different way in which her and Renji's relationship changed but that is past hoping for now. All I can do is move forward and hope that despite my novice mistakes people are still enjoying this and will stick with me until the end.**

 _ **Lunahime517**_ **: THANK YOU for your kind review and lovely PM to me. It helped boost my confidence back up again to continue and I truly appreciate it. I'm so glad you are enjoying this despite it not being your typically favorite pairing.**

 **Also I know some of the fluff I'm writing between Renji and Orihime may seem out of place but I'm choosing to think they would still be developing their relationship even in the midst of trouble since their lives are so full of it most of the time.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 25 – "Strength Despite Tears"

Orihime had rested for most of the day but was required in the evening to meet with the Goeti 13 captains and head captain. They were meeting via teleprompter in the lounge and Yamamoto led the conversation.

"Inoue Orihime, please tell us all what transpired during your encounter with Grimmjow," he requested.

Orihime related being accosted by her original attacker and how when he'd taken off her ring to steal it Grimmjow had found her pretty much immediately. It was unbelievable to them she had managed to fight back even remotely let alone with any success. Even Kenpachi seemed impressed with her. She didn't go into the nitty gritty details of their fight, just humbly stated she fended him off as best she could until her friends arrived. Renji was swelling with pride for her as she handled the conversation with poise and confidence.

"Do not discount yourself so quickly, Inoue," Ukitake put in from behind the head captain, "You fought braver than some soul reapers would have." She blushed slightly at the compliment and bowed her thanks before Yamamoto continued with his questions.

Kisuke had been included in the meeting with her to offer whatever insight he could as to how the receptors had found her so quickly or if he had any idea what could have happened to Tsubaki.

"Hmmm," the shop keeper said as he was deep in thought, "The receptors were most likely tuned to her spiritual pressure signature specifically rather than just a general search pattern. We found and disabled a number of them but there's no telling how many were out there because many of them we ended up finding were masked. I have a feeling Grimmjow isn't the brains behind this. He's cunning and swift minded but he's no genius when it comes to technology or kido. No, he's most likely the muscle. As for what happened to Tsubaki…" he trailed off and Orihime found herself holding her breath praying that he would figure it out. After a moment he shook his head and sighed asking her, "Inoue, describe to me in as great of detail as you can what you saw happen after you released him."

She drew in a shaky breath and said, "Urahara-san, it's hard to remember. I was so focused on concentrating my will to at least injure Grimmjow that my eyes weren't really seeing around me. It's hard to explain. I mean, I have to focus on my targets so I was looking intently at him not anything around him." Kisuke nodded and motioned for her to continue. "I remember Tsubaki flying towards Grimmjow's head and thought he'd actually make good contact. I wasn't sure I could kill him but I wanted to stun him to get away. Then there was a bright flash of light before he reached him and all of a sudden I couldn't feel his presence anymore. At that point I and the rest of my spirits were screaming for him. Oh, it was horrible hearing them in my head, crying and pleading with me to release them so they could get him back. I wouldn't once Grimmjow said he wanted them out because I figured the same thing would happen to them that had happened to Tsubaki."

The room was silent, no one sure what to say as this was beyond anything any of them had ever experienced. Plus, there much about Orihime's powers that they didn't know about yet since she was so young in wielding of them. Finally the head captain called an end to the meeting, reminding her to not use her powers for now until they had a better idea of what they were dealing with. She agreed and the screen turned off. Letting out a sigh she made her way to the door with Renji following her out.

In the hallway waited Rukia, Ichigo, Tatsuki, Chad, Ishida and Yoruichi. Rangiku had returned to Soul Society and Keigo and Mizuiro had returned to their hotel until further directions were given. Orihime smiled weakly at the group in front of her knowing they all wanted to hear how the meeting had gone. She gave a concise report of it and then said she was tired.

"Come on, you need a nap and then we'll have some food," Renji said placing a hand on her back and leading her down the hallway. Ichigo tried to hide his irritation but he wasn't doing too well. Orihime hadn't yet spoke to him about his question to her, but that was to be expected given that she'd needed to rest up for her meeting with the head captain. Also, he didn't know if she'd have an answer for him any time soon and figured he'd just have to be patient. He didn't want to push her, though his Hollow was chomping at the bit.

Renij and Orihime reached her door and when he went to leave she grabbed his hand. He turned back to her and saw a surprising shyness in her eyes. "Renji…would…would you stay with me? At least until I fall asleep?" she asked hesitantly. He thought her shyness was cute given the way she'd kissed him just that morning. Still, this was something about her he liked. She could be passionate but still shy. He nodded and followed her in before closing the door.

The eyes of Ishida and Chad rose but they didn't say anything. The women filed down the stairs leaving the men on the landing. All three of them had insisted on staying at the safe house to help watch over Orihime and were all still in their clothes from the night before.

"Come on Ichigo, we're going back to the dorms to get cleaned up. By the time we get back I'm sure Inoue will be up and we can see her," Uryu said. Ichigo sighed but said nothing as he looked at Orihime's door. Then he turned and walked down the stairs his two friends following him. "Rukia, would it be possible for us to obtain a ride back to the college," Uryu asked when they'd entered the living room.

"Of course," she responded and called the driver to bring the car to the front. The three men piled in and were soon off. Rukia sighed watching them go before going back into the house. She flopped back down onto the couch and looked at the other two women. "I have a feeling things were about to get more complicated _without_ Grimmjow in the picture, now it's going to be worse," she said with her hand to her head. The other two nodded in agreement.

Back in her room Orihime had laid down while Renji sat in a chair near the bed holding her hand. She smiled up at him and he returned one back to her. "Close your eyes silly, I'm not going anywhere and you really do need to rest," he said giving her hand a squeeze. She giggled and did as she was told, closing her eyes with a deep sigh. He leaned forward and stroked her hair as she slipped into slumber. Looking at her now he still couldn't believe all that happened between them in such a short amount of time. He reflected on all the time they'd spent together at the house.

Her cooking her odd meals and he helping her train. Her introducing him to so many movies he kept getting their plot lines crisscrossed and he teaching her calligraphy. They'd spent some nights simply enjoying each other's company in silence as they read books or sat in the roof top garden talking about an assortment of random topics. He'd never had that experience with anyone besides Rukia and even then had not shared so much of himself. He still had no idea how their relationship was going to work given that he was literally decades older than her and was a soul reaper lieutenant while she was barely nineteen with so much of her life ahead of her. But he knew he wanted to try because she was worth it.

He felt her hand go slack in his telling him she had completely fallen asleep. He quietly rose and exited her room going downstairs to tend to providing everyone with a meal. However, upon his arrival to the kitchen he found Tatsuki cooking.

"I felt useless just sitting around so figured I'd cook up a big meal for everyone," she said with a small smile.

He nodded, pulled out one of the stools banked up against the island and took a seat to watch her cook. There was a surprisingly comfortable silence in the room. Tatsuki looked up from the pan she was stirring some concoction of meat and vegetables in to say, "You know, I've never properly thanked you for all you've done for Orihime, Abarai-kun."

"Please call me Renji," he replied with a smirk before saying, "And it's nothing, I'm happy to watch out for her."

She cocked one eyebrow at him and said with a chuckle, "You've done much more for her than just guard her you know."

"What do you mean?" he asked, suddenly nervous. Despite his large build he'd seen this woman wail on Ichigo enough times to know she packed quite a punch.

"I mean," she said lifting her gaze again to meet his," Your influence on her has done wonders. Somehow she's changed so many things about herself, all for the better, while maintaining her sweet spirit. You ground her well Renji. Even in the middle of all this crap she's the happiest I've ever seen her in the entire time I've known her. I can tell it's real too. I know her better than she thinks and all her false cheerfulness in the years past didn't deceive me but there was only so much I could do. You make her truly happy and for that I'm very thankful. And, not that you need it I'm sure but I'd feel odd not saying it, I give you my blessing."

He had not been expecting such eloquent speech from a girl who usually hit first and asked questions later. He was also surprised she trusted him so thoroughly without really knowing him that well. It seemed she was able to deduce much about him by her observance of Orihime's behavior and so she believed he was a good guy faster that way than by anything else. He wasn't really sure what to say other than, "Thank you."

About half an hour later she asked Renji to go wake up Orihime so she could get ready to come downstairs and eat. By this time Ichigo, Uryu and Chad had returned with Keigo and Mizuiro to enjoy the dinner Tatsuki had made for all of them. Everyone was surprised to learn she was quite the cook. "I've gotten better having to share kitchen duties with my team," she said with a grin.

Renji had reached Orihime's door and knocked but didn't hear her moving around. Opening the door he found her still asleep and smiled softly at her. She looked so peaceful h didn't want to disturb her but she needed to eat. He walked to the bed and sat down on it before leaning down to kiss her forehead and say, "Orihime, love, it's time to wake up. Tatsuki out did herself on a great meal for us, come on." She stretched like a cat and opened her eyes lazily smiling when she saw his face. He smiled back down at her and stroked the side of her face. Wordlessly she leaned up and kissed him gently finding she was already addicted to the feeling of his lips on hers. When they'd broken apart she giggled, happier than she'd been in years despite the turmoil surrounding her.

"Come on, go wash up and change, I'll be downstairs," he said knowing if he stayed near her he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep himself from continuing to kiss her. She nodded and he rose to exit.

Fifteen minutes later she was downstairs in dark blue jeans and a red sweater Uryu had knitted for her the year previously. She found everyone sitting in various areas of the great room and when her eyes fell on Ichigo her heart gave a painful palpitation. She was not looking forward to the conversation she knew she had to have with him sooner than later. She was already so comfortable in her new relationship with Renji that she could see herself unconsciously being affectionate with him and to do that in front of Ichigo without talking to him first would just be cruel. So she intentionally sat between Chad and Rukia. Renji didn't seem to need to be told what she was doing and she was thankful for his understanding.

The meal was pleasant even if the conversation for tactic centric. Tatsuki had made an excellent stir fry with homemade soft buns. She'd even made Orihime's favorite chocolate cupcakes (hers with red bean paste frosting) for dessert. Before long everyone was milling about and she could tell Ichigo was antsy for her answer. He'd said for her to let him know but she couldn't drag this out, it wasn't fair to him especially since she'd already made her decision.

"Ichigo," she said approaching him, "Come with me, I want to talk to you."

He complied and followed her to the elevator. Silently they went up to the roof top garden. Stepping out he followed her to the veranda that overlooked the city. She was struggling with how to say what she wanted but when she turned to face him he was closer than she previously thought. He was staring into her eyes with an intensity she'd never seen before and her heart hurt again. She hated what was about to happen.

Taking a shaky breath she opened her mouth to speak, "Kurosaki-kun, I know you said to think about what you asked me but the truth is I didn't have to think very long on it." He didn't say anything but waited for her to continue. "Back in Karakura, I would have done almost anything to be in this moment with you, to know that after all this time you return the affections I harbored for you for so long. But," and she saw him wince, "it's different now. I've come to realize that my love for you, while true and deep and real, grew in an unsustainable environment."

He frowned, clearly confused at what she was saying and she took a step back from him so she could gather her thoughts better, their proximity was making her nervous but not the same nervous as would have been previously.

"I'm explaining this poorly, let me try again," she said with a sigh. "I've realized over the past months that how you would love me is no longer how I want to be loved. You've changed a little what with going to school, traveling, getting yourself ready for your career. I've changed a lot. I'm no longer content to simply be rescued and kept safe and I don't think you would do well with that if we were together. Plus, my affections for you changed over this time as well. I care about you deeply and am so glad you've considered me one of your closest friends for so long. Honestly, if I'd known that sooner I could have saved myself so much unnecessary and childish angst. But who I am now is not who I was then. So even though you say you love me now I think who you love is who I was then and I just can't go back to being that person. So, I'm sorry but I can't be with you in a relationship. I can be your friend, I will always be your friend and your nakama but for me the time for us to be together romantically has passed."

Ichigo didn't say anything when she'd finished but was staring out over the city and she wondered if he was going to speak to her. Suddenly he clenched his head with his hands uttering a grunt of pain.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you ok?" she asked moving forward to him but he flew back almost screaming, "Run, Inoue, run!" She looked confused and was frozen in place with shock.

"What do you mean run? Let me help you!" she cried moving towards him again.

"NO! You have to run, NOW!" he yelled and when his head came back up her blood turned to ice water. She could see black flickering in the white of his eyes and the irises had cracks of yellow in them. His Hollow was trying to take over and it looked like Ichigo was losing. She was petrified just staring at him. Finally he roared in frustration and the black became more pronounced as he knelt on the ground still trying desperately to hold the Hollow in. The next moment she felt Rukia and Yoruichi's reiatsu coming from behind her. They must have felt the waves of Ichigo's turmoil. They both cast a binding kido on Ichigo's body to keep him where he was.

He was roaring again the Hollow gaining more and more strength. Orihime's eyes were wide with fear and she felt tears stinging the edges of her eyes. Renji had been right behind the women and was now stepping up next to her but he didn't shield her. He knew she wanted to stand on her own and he was trying to let her.

When he'd arrived Ichigo's eyes went full black and yellow and he bellowed, " **I don't care what King says, I'm going to take you for myself princess! And I will kill anyone who tries to stop me!"**

Orihime shrunk back against the fury before her and it was then Renji stepped slightly in front of her.

"Just try it you bastard, no one is taking her anywhere," Renji growled back having drawn Zabimaru.

By now the kido was starting to wear thin against Ichigo's unprecedented power and Rukia could feel it cracking.

"This isn't working! We need a new plan!" she yelled a bead of sweat dripping down her face as she struggled against her friend.

"Hold on a minute longer!" they heard Kisuke say behind them. Behind him were Chad and Uryu in full gear ready to take on their friend in battle if need be though they both doubted how effective they would be against him.

Kisuke ran forward and reaching Ichigo placed a charm on a chain around his neck. Almost instantly he lost consciousness completely and slumped forward against the kido bind. "It's ok, you can put it down," Kisuke said to them. Rukia and Yoruichi looked at each other before doing as they were told. Ichigo's body started falling but Kisuke caught him and laid him down. Suddenly above them a hole ripped open in the sky and out came Grimmjow again. He grinned at the group below him but when he saw Ichigo on the ground he frowned.

"Damn it, I came out here expecting to have our re-match and he's already down for the count?" he asked irritated. The next moment an arrow from Uryu's bow flew at his head but he dodged it. The Quincy kept firing as Chad moved forward to hit him. Uryu stopped his assault once Chad was in his path throwing his offense arm forward. Grimmjow caught the blow with his hand and countered with a punch that was block by Chad's defense arm. They stayed suspended for a moment each pushing on the other's captured appendage but Grimmjow was stronger than the Fullbringer. He flung him back and he crashed into Uryu.

Next it was Rukia, Yoruichi and Renji who jumped up to meet him in battle. They swung their swords, flash-stepping all over the sky, moving faster and faster. Rukia was knocked down next to Orihime who helped her to her feet and she jumped back into the fight despite the blood running into her eyes.

Watching the fight Orihime could see her friends taking damage. Even Yoruichi was getting countered effectively and received a devastating blow to her rib cage. She started falling but Kisuke caught her and brought her to the roof, laying her down softly next to Ichigo.

"Alright, you're done for now, stay there," he said softly but firmly to her. She clenched her teeth in pain and frustration but made no move to get up.

Renji and Rukia were doing all they could against Grimmjow but he moved faster than they did. Renji received a blow to the face and then a slice to his arm causing him to bellow in pain. He was breathing hard and couldn't keep up flash step as fast as he was before making him more vulnerable to the attacks. Rukia had also been bested again though she was continuing her efforts to defend her friend. She swung her zanpakuto against Pantera with all she had but didn't even move it. Grimmjow reached forward with his long arms and grabbed her by the collar before flinging her down the ground. She hit hard and didn't move.

"Rukia!" screamed Orihime, horrified by the site of her friend lying in a small crater of concrete on the street below.

She looked back up to see Grimmjow smirk at her before charging up a bala and firing it at Rukia's unconscious form. Instinctually Orihime shouted, "Santen Kesshun!" throwing up her shield to block the energy shot. She managed to block it but the force of the impact shattered the shield almost immediately. Hinagiku, Lily and Baigon were flung aside but as they made their way back to Orihime a flash of light encased them.

"NO!" screamed Orihime helplessly as she watched and felt them disappear.

"Thanks princess, only one more to go!" Grimmjow shouted laughing at her. Once again after his attack he flew back through the portal and shut it.

Orihime fell to her knees but didn't have any tears left. She felt numb. Renji had reached her and put his uninjured arm around her but she couldn't make herself move. She'd played right into Grimmjow's hand and hated herself for it. Suddenly she slammed both her fists into the ground and screamed in frustration. Renji was shocked at her outcry, eyes wide as he looked at her hands the knuckles bloody from the sharp impact to the roof. All gathered around her felt strain in their hearts for her but knew there were no words of comfort they could offer.

Silently Orihime stood and walked to the elevator and Renji let her go. His heart longed to be with her but he could tell she would not welcome his comfort right now. Seeing her angry was new to everyone but they had come to realize the best they could do for her was respect her right to it.

They all went back inside, Chad carrying the still unconscious Ichigo and Kisuke carrying an injured Yoruichi. Rukia had been picked up by Uryu and brought back inside. As they were tending to their wounds Orihime showed up.

"Come with me, everyone" she said her voice even, almost cold and they complied entering the elevator with her.

Once they'd reached the underground she had them huddle together. She inhaled deeply and said "Soten Kishun." She healed them quickly without incident as she figured doing so from the depths of the protected home would work. They all stood in silence before Chad said, "Thank you Inoue." They all nodded their agreement to the sentiment and she gave them a watery smile. After riding back to the main floor Orihime said, "Renji, please get Ichigo's body, we need to keep him safe until we can figure out what's going on."

This new commanding stance of hers was slightly unnerving effective as it was being. Never had her voice been so calm and Renji, though proud of her strength, couldn't help worrying. He did as she asked and they got back into the elevator to take Ichigo upstairs. Walking to Renji's room she opened the door and he followed her. He laid the unconscious man on his bed and Orihime covered him up. She stood there for a moment before reaching out to stroke his bright orange hair.

"Oh Kurosaki-kun, what has gotten into you?" she asked softly. Renji felt he could answer that better than anyone else. It was her; she had gotten into him, all the way to his Hollow.

She stepped back and walked out of the room, Renji following her lead again, to be met by Kisuke in the hallway. "Inoue, the charm I placed on him will work for only so long. It's a band-aid on a gushing wound and we need to formulate a better plan and soon."

She didn't even hesitate, "In that case I suggest Renji take him back to Soul Society to be placed under protective custody. We can't control him like this and he's a danger to us and to himself." Renji's eyes went wide; he never thought that was where her mind would go.

Kisuke inhaled a deep breath, "Are you sure you want to do that? There are some who would not be too keen on letting him go once we get him back under control, presuming we can."

She cocked her head slightly and asked, "What do you think we should do then? I'm sorry but I can see no other way to contain him, plus he needs to be away from me right now."

The former captain's eyebrows rose questioningly and he looked at Renji who nodded.

"Care to fill me in on why?" the former captain asked.

Orihime sighed and answered, "I'm the reason his Hollow is fighting for dominance. For some reason Kurosaki-kun's newly developed, or at the very least admitted feelings, for me have manifested in his Hollow and it's causing him to fight for dominance. I know he will be angry but I don't know what else we can do. We have enough to worry about with Grimmjow stealing my powers and using them for only Kami knows what. Please, if you have another suggestion that will work I'm open to it but for now I don't know what else to do. It's my turn to protect those around me and I'm doing the best I can."

Kisuke considered the young woman before him and realized anew how much he had grossly underestimated her. He weighed their options and realized she had a point. In Soul Society there were much stronger options for confinement of Ichigo until he could be under control. He also knew he'd be treated like a prisoner despite all he'd done for them as there were many who didn't trust him to wield the power he did. Throwing him into a cell because he couldn't control his Hollow over a woman was not the reputation he needed.

"Inoue, while I appreciate your concern and think your solution would work to a point we cannot allow Soul Society to know Ichigo's Hollow is manifesting in this way. They will never let him leave if they know he cannot control it over something that should not be affecting it at all."

When he saw guilt flicker in her eyes he quickly continued, "Please do not blame yourself, this is uncharted territory for everyone but we have to tread lightly. I propose we move him to my shop. I have stronger kido and charms there that I can use. I'd just happened to have the one I used with me otherwise we'd be in even more trouble than we already are."

Orihime nodded and they began preparations to get Ichigo safely away into the underground. Uryu would take care of his teachers saying he'd had a family emergency he had to rush to and would offer to get him his class work to him but was planning on doing it for him so he'd keep up with his classes. Chad decided he would stay at the underground to help watch over his friend and do what he could to help.

It was inevitable that another meeting with the Goeti 13 would happen and they elected to get it out of the way. Prior to its start all had agreed to keep Ichigo's Hollow a secret. When admonished for disobeying orders to not use her powers Renji almost forgot himself to come to her defense but Orihime said evenly, "I had no choice. He would have killed Rukia and I simply could not let that happen."

Silence dominated after her statement only to be broken by Byakuya stepping forward and saying, "Inoue, I thank you and am in your debt." She was surprised but merely bowed and waited for the meeting to continue. There wasn't much left to say since so much had happened again within twenty four hours.

"If that is all, I would like to clean up and get some rest," Orihime said politely. Yamamoto nodded and they terminated the meeting. Turning she met her eyes to Kisuke, "Will your charm hold Kurosaki-kun for tonight?" He nodded and she continued, "Ok, then I propose we clean up and get some rest. We'll need to get him back to your shop tomorrow as soon as possible." They all nodded.

Uryu and Chad offered to stay and guard the door to where Ichigo was being held just in case it seemed he were waking up. Kisuke accepted their help letting them know he'd be in the lounge on a pullout if they needed him. Yoruichi went with him and were they under any other circumstances it may have been commented on but no one had it in them to jest.

Before going to her room Orihime hugged and kissed the cheeks of her comrades, thanking them for their help. Both blushed slightly but murmured they were happy to do it. She smiled and turned away towards her door, taking Renji's hand to come with her. Watching her walk away Uryu couldn't help a sad but proud smile turn his lips as he thought, " _She's so strong, she's so much stronger than any of us ever knew possible."_

When she and Renji had entered her bedroom and the door was shut it was then she let herself go. She fell to her knees and sobbed. He wrapped his arms around her firmly and let her cry. She'd been through so much in such a short time he couldn't believe it. And yet she'd continued being strong for everyone around her. Though he hated to see her crying it warmed his heart to know she wanted him with her when she broke down.

She looked up at him and kissed him gently before saying, "Thank you. Thank you for teaching me how to be strong but to know that it's ok to cry. I used to feel so ashamed of my tears because I cry when I'm angry, when I'm sad, when I'm happy, it's just something my body does when my emotions are raging. But I'm not ashamed anymore because of you."

He kissed her back and helped her to her feet. "Come on, I think a hot shower will help you relax before getting into bed."

She hugged him tightly as she whispered in his ear, "Renji, please come in the shower with me, I don't want to be apart from you tonight."

He's stiffened in more ways than one and pulled back to look at her, "Are you sure you want that tonight?" She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.

"If tonight has shown me anything it's that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. I'm not talking about sleeping together yet, I agree with you that I doubt I'm ready for that right now, but I know I want to be near you and feel you. Are you ok with that?"

He surprised himself by hesitating. True, his body ached to be near her, to caress her and hold her naked form against his. Hell, he'd been dreaming about it long before they'd confessed their feelings to each other. She could see him struggling and pulled away with a smile on her face.

"I can see this bothers you for some reason and since I know it's not because you don't want me I can only presume you're worried about preserving my honor," she said teasingly. He released a choked laugh but found himself nodding and asking, "Does that mean you're not mad about it?"

It was her turn to laugh slightly and say, "How can I be mad at you for being honorable? Tell you what, we'll shower separately but I'd like you to sleep in the bed with me, fully clothed, I promise," she said.

He nodded, kissed her lightly and released her, she heading to her bathroom and he to his. When they'd both cleaned up and changed into their sleeping clothes he climbed into the bed pulling her to rest her head on his chest as he lay on his back, arm lazily stroking her hair as she moved her hand on his chest before they both fell asleep quickly, pure exhaustion taking over them.


	26. Chapter 26 A Hollow Victory

**Author's Note:**

 **ffn1990: Thank you for your note, criticism helps me construct my writing better for both this story and future writings. As I said in the author's note of the last chapter this is my first fic and I fully admit to not developing Rukia's role as much as would be expected for her as a main character listing. She does feature in this chapter however. While I understand trying to write true to the characters, in any fan fiction characterization will inevitably be altered since we are writing our own story. It was not my intention to be misleading or disrespect an obviously loved character. I had considered re-writing some of the chapters to some original formats with her as a minor role but it would just get too complicated. So for now I will focus on moving forward as best I can and hope readers will forgive my under development of Rukia. I have taken your advice and revised my summary and character listing to be only Renji and Orihime.**

 **Ebony58: Thank you for your kind review, I am so pleased you've enjoyed the story thus far enough to read through it all twice! I am glad you see my reasoning for the amount of Ichigo I had at the beginning of the story and that you felt I did not rush Orihime's developing relationship with Renji. That was what I was trying to accomplish and I'm glad it made it through.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 26 – "A Hollow Victory"

The next day found Urahara, Yoruichi, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad and Rukia all packed and headed back to Karakura Town with Ichigo still unconscious. Unorthodox as it was the best way they had come up with transporting his body in the train was to basically coffin him in a crate as best they could. Rukia left her gigai in with him and rode in the luggage boxcar alongside him to watch over. She had decided that morning to come back with everyone and help Urahara.

" _Who knows?_ " she thought as she swayed with the movement of the train, " _Maybe I can get through to Ichigo."_ They had become very close friends over the years since their first meeting, not surprisingly since he had saved her life. Now it was her turn to try to save him, but this time she'd be working to save him from himself and that was a much harder task. She'd gotten filled in from Orihime on all the details of what had happened the night before on the roof and she felt so bad for both of them. Here, after all this time, appeared what should have been a simple coming together of two hearts but life had directed their paths differently. It was incalculable why Ichigo's Hollow was so intent on Orihime but it's what they had to deal with now and she was going to do everything she could to help.

Upon arrival to Karakura they all made their way to the shop. Tessai was waiting for them and had built a solid but see through cube shaped cell fused with kido to hold Ichigo. "Should we remove the charm now?" Chad asked after they had placed Ichigo's body in the cell.

"I'm tempted to leave it on to give us some more time but I must admit I would rather he not destroy it, because that's what will eventually happen. I'm amazed he hasn't yet," Urahara answered.

Inside his inner world Ichigo could hear them talking and rolled his eyes at the sentence.

" _Oi, as if I'd let him just up and break the damn thing!"_ he said.

The whole time Ichigo had been unconscious he had been battling his Hollow fiercely. The rain was pouring again of course, the lightening striking almost by the second and the sound of thunder deafening in his brain but he wouldn't let up. He couldn't believe he'd let the worst part of himself surface so quickly in front of Inoue. He'd seen the fear in her eyes as he'd banged on the walls of his mind trying to regain control. He was thankful Rukia and Yoruichi had been there to bind him because he'd seen the dark thoughts of his Hollow and they scared even him.

During her time talking he'd recognized Renji had already replaced him in Orihime's heart. She may not have said as much but it was pretty clear. And in a moment of anger and feeling betrayed his Hollow had taken a foot hold and shoved him out of control. The stupid bastard had gone against their truce and the moment he saw one chink in the armor had struck. Why Ichigo had thought he could trust him at all was beyond his comprehension. Also, he wasn't sure what to do now because the Hollow was not letting up at all.

" **I could do this forever King but I'm not so sure you can, give it up!"** he shouted clashing swords with him again, murderous intent in his gaze.

" _I'm not giving anything up, you are! We had an agreement that whatever Orihime decided that was it!"_ he shouted in response.

" **HA! As if I'd really let you have your way King, come on! You should know me, or yourself, better than that! We don't give up without a fight!"**

" _I'm not going to fight Renji for her! Can't you see that would never work?"_

" **And can't you see that I don't care? I'm strong enough to take what we both want now let me!"**

" _NEVER!_ " screamed Ichigo and fought back harder. He knew he was expending too much energy but he was just so pissed off he couldn't stop. Yes, he knew he loved Inoue, but he also knew much of what she said was right.

When he'd thought of her while in London it was of how she was before. He had never intended for her to believe he thought her weak, that wasn't what he thought at all. But he knew she was right in that he didn't know how to be around her without trying to protect her…from everything.

And he realized then that in some twisted way the reason he'd taken so damn long to even figure out he had feelings for her was because he tried to protect her from himself. He'd thought himself a monster and not worthy of her so he'd pushed his thoughts and feelings of anything beyond friendship to the furthest reaches of his mind.

In the outside world Rukia was sitting by the wall of the cell watching as her friend's body twitched and turned, the violence of his inner battle showing itself on his outer form. Before much longer the charm would break and she wasn't sure who she would see sitting up to look at her. They couldn't risk opening the cell now because Ichigo would wake up too quickly. So Kisuke had decided to sacrifice the charm. Rukia kept watching, praying Kami that Ichigo and not his Hollow would win the day.

Suddenly there was a large snapping sound and the charm shattered into a dozen pieces as Ichigo sat up violently. When he faced her heart almost stopped. His eyes were full black and yellow. The Hollow had won. He grinned wickedly at her and struck against the side of the cell, but when it didn't budge his grin turned to rage and he hit it harder.

" **So, you think this will keep me for long? I can break this too you know?"** he asked mirthlessly.

"If you do I'll be waiting for you," Rukia said narrowing her eyes.

Hollow Ichigo laughed, " **Don't be ridiculous, you're no match for me little girl."**

Chad had walked up at this time and Ichigo's possessed body turned his gaze to him, " **Don't think you're much better giant, you'll be a push over too."**

Chad didn't say anything but looked down at Rukia and sat next to her. They both sat staring at their friend, or at least his likeness, because the thing sitting in front of them wasn't Ichigo. Though it made her more uncomfortable than she wanted to admit Rukia figured the best thing she could do was try and to talk to the Hollow to see if she could figure out what was going on.

"So, since we're just staring at each other anyway, I wanted to ask you, why are you so intent on claiming Orihime? What use would a human be to a hollow other than to consume?" she asked dryly.

Hollow Ichigio's eyebrows rose, he was not expecting this.

 **"I want her because she's mine,"** he answered.

"What do you mean because she's yours? Last I checked she wasn't anyone's, or at the very least she's with Renji now but he treats her with dignity and respect, pretty much the opposite of you," she countered.

" **HA! That red-headed dumbass is just a stand in! King is the one she wants, no matter what she says, and he wants her, therefore I want her,"** the Hollow barked.

"But that makes no sense. I'll grant you that Ichigo realized his feelings for Orihime recently but as much as you are the most base of his emotions, the darkest of his inner self, I refused to believe he would desire her so much that it would manifest into you wanting to force her into a relationship with him," Rukia said, surprised that she was maintaining a civil tone with him.

" **King just doesn't get it! It's not a matter of want anymore it's a matter of NEED! We need her!"**

Chad's eyebrows rose at this statement and he glanced down at Rukia with a look of complete confusion on his face. She shared the look. A Hollow _needed_ a human? Was feeling human emotions? It was beyond comprehension. Also, Rukia was in awe at how much stronger the Hollow had become than Ichigo. He'd taken him over fairly quickly which was not common. The only other time that had happened when Ichigo was fully conscious was the time he'd fought her brother and had been in such a weakened state it was easier for the Hollow to take over. Could he really be in such turmoil about Orihime that it'd had the same effect?

Rukia had gotten to know Ichigo fairly well over the years and something like that seemed…impossible. Sure, he may struggle from time to time with the voice in his head but mostly it was annoyance from speech, not direct combat like this over and over. She sat in deep thought, going over everything she knew about Hollows which was both a lot and not enough. Her only objective when dealing with them was to get rid of them, not talk to them! Also, Ichigo was the only person she'd known with an inner hollow who had remained human, or at least as human as Ichigo could be given his lineage.

She had been silent all this time deep in thought and Ichigo's Hollow eyes had been looking around the cell trying to figure out the best way to break it. He could still feel King trying to regain control but he'd weakened him considerably so he knew he was in control long enough to get out. Still the kido was strong and he figured that any energy attack he tried would bounce back at him. For the moment he had to wait but the longer he did the strong King would become and could give him some trouble again. He'd entertained the idea of gambling with giving King control again just to get them to let him out but figured that wouldn't work. He'd tell them to just leave him in the box.

Rukia's communicator beeped and she stood up to take the call.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Rukia, it's Renji, how's Ichigo?'

"Still hollow unfortunately," she replied.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on with him?" he exclaimed.

Rukia recounted her conversation to him and he was silent for a beat when she'd finished before replying, "Crap, that's…I don't even know what to say about that. We're in deep waters here and sinking fast."

"No kidding. How's Orihime doing?" Rukia asked softly.

Renji took a deep breath before answering, "She's ok, all things considered, but she feels responsible for Ichigo's condition of course. I keep trying to tell her it's not her fault but I can see I'm not really getting through to her right now." He sounded so dejected that Rukia's heart hurt for him a bit. She knew how much he'd come to care for her friend in a very short amount of time. Looking at it now the whole situation seemed almost laughably ironic. She and Renji, in different circumstances, may very well have ended up together so for him to be a deciding factor in Orihime's decision to _not_ be with Ichigo was an interesting twist of the cosmos.

"She'll come around, she just needs some time," she replied and he issued a grunt that sounded close to an agreement.

"Look, I better get going, I'll check back in with you soon. Take care of her," Rukia said and Renji said he would. They gave their goodbyes and hung up.

Coming back to the cell she could see Ichigo's face watching her with a feral grin. Suddenly there was a rumbling sound that seemed to shake the entire underground. Chad had stood up next to her and they were looking around when Kisuke dropped to the ground along with Tessai, Jinta, Ururu and Yoruichi. Jinta and Ururu both had weapons drawn and Kisuke had held his zanpaktuo firmly. Rukia drew hers as well and Chad manifested his armor.

"What's going on?" Rukia said to Kisuke.

"We're being ambushed, seems someone is anxious to get his hands on our friend here," he replied grimly.

"What? Who…"but before she could finish her question she felt a very familiar reiatsu. "Damn it all, did he put spiritual pressure reactors all over the freaking planet?" she asked angrily. There was no time to answer as Grimmjow landed on the ground in front of them. This time he had four other unknown Arrancar with him as backup.

"Take care of them," he said firmly to his minions and they wasted no time attacking the group in front of them. While they were busy dealing with that Grimmjow made his way over to the cell holding Ichigo. The Hollow stared at the Espada and said sarcastically, " **What, looking for another ass kicking?"**

Grimmjow smirked before replying, "You're in no position to talk boy being stuck in that damn box!"

The Hollow glared daggers at him, " **Shut up you son of a bitch! I'll get out of here soon enough and when I do I'll come for you once I'm done with that friggin' red-haired excuse of a shinigami."**

"Funny you should mention him, that's exactly why I'm here to talk to you," Grimmjow counter with his eyebrow cocked, a look of " _are you interested now"_ on his face.

The Hollow just stared at him but before he could reply Rukia had broken away from the brawl to confront Grimmjow.

"Here is someone eager for another ass kicking or did you enjoy the feeling of concrete in your teeth girl?" Grimmjow taunted as they clashed swords.

Rukia wasted no time with words to him but chanted a kido blast incantation and fired almost point blank. The shot smart but it didn't stop him. It seemed he had grown exceedingly stronger in the intervening months since the war which was unbelievable given the state he had been left in. She fired again and again but he either dodged or deflected after her initial hit.

"What do you want Grimmjow?" she finally asked.

He pointed to Ichigo and said, "Him stupid, why else the hell would I be here?"

"Are you kidding me? You're still after a rematch against a man who bested you and left you for dead?" she asked.

He growled fiercely and doubled his attack, slamming her down hard again with Pantera pushing against her sword. The next moment Kisuke had kicked him away and was charging forward while Yoruichi had made it behind him to return his favor of a devastating kick to the ribs. Grimmjow had the wind knocked out of him but he wasn't down, not yet. He'd counted on having his support troops keep them busy for longer but clearly he'd either underestimated his enemies or overestimated his team.

" _Damn it,_ " he thought, teeth clenched, " _This was supposed to be a quick grab and go. I didn't want to do this now but it doesn't look like I have a choice."_

He flashed stepped high into the air before turning and putting his hand out roared, "KOTEN ZANSHUN!"

Kisuke actually stopped his pursuit of the bluenette so shocked was he to hear Orihime's attack cry from their enemy's lips. " _What the hell?"_ he thought but then his eyes grew wide as he realized a HUGE beam of red light was coming directly for him. He dodged in time and turned to watch its downward progress. It slammed against the kido barrier cell erupting dirt and debris all around.

" _Oh Kami, no, no!"_ Kisuke shouted in his head too stunned to even form words. Under Orihime's power that attack may have been able to dent the kido cell, possibly crack it since she had been training. But under Grimmjow's monstrous reiatsu and ability to control his power it had shattered. Initially Kisuke thought Ichigo must be dead. Even with his Hollow in control they were both still in his physical body.

Rukia had been on the ground with the others when the shot hit and all of them were flung back violently in different directions from the impact zone. She had landed on her back but sat up quickly screaming, "ICHIGO!"

Suddenly he appeared before her but her relief was short lived looking up at his face. His Hollow was still firmly in control and grinning down at her. It was terrifying to see such a look of blood lust on her friend's face, particularly when he was looking at her. As he leaned down to stare into her eyes he enjoyed the fear he saw flickering there. She was trying to keep up a brave front but he knew better.

" **It wasn't how I planned it, but I told you I'd get out girl,"** he breathed maliciously in her face. She willed herself to be strong but she was in a losing battle. She knew she wasn't strong enough against him like this. Hell, he'd surpassed her during his training to rescue her! She thought for sure he was going to kill her then and there were it not for Kisuke raining down on them and pushing Ichigo back. He maintained a defensive position in front of her.

"Rukia, if you are not hurt, or even if you are, get up, I will need you," he said firmly.

Rukia did as commanded, her limbs finally working and her resolve steeling again. The moment of fear was gone and now she was ready to fight.

Behind Ichigo's form she could see Yoruichi and Tessai and to his right could see Chad. She flanked to the left so they were essentially surrounding him. He smirked and put his hand behind his head. Watching him do the same mannerisms as Ichigo was alarming to say the least.

" **Sorry guys, as much fun as this would be, I have a date,"** he said darkly and catapulted up into the air.

All of them attacked at once but were surprised when Grimmjow directed his followers to stop their hindrance of Ichigo. When Rukia had almost reached Ichigo's form he turned suddenly and grabbed her by her throat as he exited the underground. He was squeezing so tightly she figured he would crush her windpipe. She was staring in his horrible yellow and black eyes, the eyes of a monster, a nightmare. Was this really a part of her friend? She hadn't seen so much of him all in one go other than in Hueco Mundo and THAT had been a true monster. Suddenly she saw the faintest flicked of amber come through and she was released. Ichigo kept moving as she lay gasping on the floor and she knew in a split second he'd gained enough control to save her.

Ichigo had been flash stepping with a vengeance when Grimmjow appeared before him.

" **I don't have time to deal with you right now ass, step aside!"** he growled but the blue-haired Espada stood firmly in his way, arms crossed. His posture was half defense half laid back and confused the spirit for a moment.

"Look you fool, as much as I'd love to kick your ass here and now, I have bigger plans to fulfill. What do you say to joining my enclave?"

The Hollow frowned, " **Why the hell would I want to do that? You know I don't acknowledge authority, certainly not** _ **yours**_ **."**

Grimmjow steeled his patience (shocked he had any to be honest) because he knew time was short before that pack of weaklings regrouped and became pests to him again.

"Fine, how about a partnership? You help me get what I want and I'll help you get what you want," he offered.

Now the Hollow was really confused. Grimmjow asking anyone for help was unheard of but coming to him was even more bizarre.

" **Not that I think I need your help but you have me curious. What exactly did you have in mind?"**

Grimmjow grinned widely, "I have a way for you to not only get the princess but get rid of the shinigami bastard who took her away from you, how's that sound?"

" **Humph, I could do that on my own!"**

"Yes, because you've done such a damn good job of it thus far. Getting your ass handed to you repeatedly by Kurosaki and then getting yourself locked up by Kisuke. Also, if I remember correctly, it was I who let you out of your prison."

The Hollow growled but didn't say anything.

"Look, I don't have time to debate this endlessly with you. Take it or leave it," Grimmjow said his impatience growing as he felt more strong reiatsu arriving. The wimpy group had undoubtedly called for backup. He could see Ichigo's Hollow sensed it too now.

" **Fine, but you should know, I'll probably double cross you the first chance I get,"** he said, voice full of pride.

"The feeling's mutual," Grimmjow countered and then opened a garganta. Both of them flew through it as Rukia watched with her hand over her mouth in shock at what she'd just witnessed. She ran back to the shop to help tend to those injured and report what she'd seen.

 **Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update guys, I was suffering some writer's block so hopefully this new development has been intriguing.**


	27. Chapter 27- Panther King & King of Hell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 27 – "The Panther King and King of Hell"

After they'd entered Hueco Mundo Ichigo's Hollow followed Grimmjow towards Las Noches. Upon arrival his eyes widened slightly in surprise. The palace had been completely rebuilt and looked stronger than the first time he'd seen it though now instead of white it was black. There were also a lot more hollows about as well as Arrancar and creatures he'd not seen before. They were grey in skin tone but had different colored eyes. Some were completely black, some were red, some yellow and some white. Looking over at Grimmjow he couldn't stop himself from asking, " **How the hell did this all happen? This place was practically in ruins by the time we left and what are those things?"**

Grimmjow merely smirked and continued his forward progression to the gate. It opened without hesitation and they entered, landing on the ground before continuing on. The Hollowed Ichigo ran his eyes all over the place taking in all that he could. The walls inside were black as well but the doors lining them were red. Despite those changes the sterility of the place remained. There were more of the creatures he'd seen outside walking the halls and their eyes watched him.

When they'd reached what he remembered to be the throne room during Aizen's occupation he saw two huge creatures of the same type guarding the door.

Grimmjow stood before them and said, "Open the doors I have business with his lordship." They swung open the doors and Grimmjow proceeded forward, not looking back to see if Ichigo followed. The interior was lit by two fires in large stone bowls atop pillars which sat on either side of the throne. And on the thrown sat an impressively large figure, black in skin tone with grey markings which almost looked tribal in their nature. His eyes were glowed with a blue fire, his face set in an easy countenance of confidence and poise.

Before anyone spoke Ichgio's Hollow asked, " **Who the hell is this?"** looking at Grimmjow standing beside him. Grimmjow growled but the figure in front of them chuckled causing both the Espada and Hollow to whip their heads to face him again.

"Interesting choice of words boy," came a voice that was a deep baritone, almost as though it were encased in shadow. In spite of himself the Hollow felt a pang of what he could only describe as fear and he never allowed fear in. Within him he even felt Ichigo recoil from the voice but he held his ground.

" **Oh and why is that?"** he asked, much more cockily that he felt.

The being before him raised his eyebrows and stood up showing his full height. He was gigantic, maybe 8 or 9 feet tall. It was hard to tell since the throne was on a platform. Walking forward he stepped down the stairs and made his way to stand before Ichigo. Both the Hollow and the man inside him were quaking with fear. This was like nothing they'd ever seen before which was surprising given the amount of hollows, bankai and enemies they'd faced.

The being had reached to within four feet of him, towering over him, and smirked.

"Because, boy, I am the _King_ of Hell," the reply came with a surprising amount of amusement in it. Ichigo and his Hollow could only stare. They knew Hell existed, Ichigo had sent plenty of corrupt spirits there, but somehow it never occurred to them there was someone actually in charge of the place!

"Grimmjow," the being said turning his face to look at the bluenette who stood at attention. Ichigo nor his Hollow had _ever_ seen Grimmjow like this before. He respected authority about as much as the Hollow which was not at all. To see the sexta Espada in a stance of respect chilled them both as they realized only a being of immense power could cause this behavior. Not even Aizen could reign in Grimmjow completely.

"Yes, my lord?" Grimmjow had said waiting for instructions.

"As you have acquired that which you wanted take our new guest to his quarters and make sure he is sufficiently satiated with nourishment. When he has finished bring him back here, we have much to discuss."

"Yes, Lord Lucifer," Grimmjow's reply came and he nodded for Ichigo to follow him. The Hollow did, stunned at who he had been talking to. He'd heard that name before but always believed him a fairy tale, or rather a nightmare. But no, he was real, the real king of Hell.

They made their way to one of the doors lining the hall and Grimmjow opened it stepping into the room. Ichigo's Hollow followed and saw a plainly furnished room: bed, dresser, door to what he presumed was a bathroom and one window looking out over the sands of Hueco Mundo. Turning to Grimmjow he said, " **Oi! I want some answers, what the hell is the king of Hell doing here?! And since when do you follow orders without bitching about them?"**

Grimmjow was leaning against the wall his arms crossed looking out the window. For all his easy manner he looked on edge, though for what reason the Hollow couldn't conceive. After a few seconds he turned his azure eyes to the yellow ones of the figure before him.

"I'll have food brought to you. Whatever he gives you, eat or drink it entirely, it's important."

With that he walked out the door and slammed it shut. The Hollow let out a sound of vexation and went to wrench the door open but it wouldn't budge.

" _ **Great, just great! Walking into a freaking trap just like the princess did!"**_ He thought bitterly and sat down on the bed. He could feel Ichigo starting to get restless again and knew before long he'd have another fight on his hands.

Five minutes later the door opened again and a red eye creature brought in and set down on the dresser a glass filled with black liquid as well as what appeared to be some kind of sandwich, though what was on it he couldn't identify.

"Eat, drink," was all the creature said before retreating back out of the room. The Hollow stepped over to where the items were placed and frowned with a look of disgust. Both looked thoroughly unappetizing but he was hungry. That was one of the things he hated most about being tied to the orange haired brat. He felt his needs and wants just as strongly or more than Ichigo did. That was part of how he ended up in some of the mess he was in now. Regret was not a feeling he was accustomed to but ever since he'd come here it had been rearing its ugly head at him. Pushing these thoughts aside he grabbed the sandwich and took a bite.

Whatever it was had a good kick to it but he choked it down. Next came the black drink which he sniffed. It smelled like sulfur and made him want to gag. Inhaling a breath he downed it as fast as he could. Rather than being spicy like the sandwich this stuff actually burned going down but he drank all of it.

He had been sitting for about ten minutes after his meal waiting for Grimmjow to come back when he felt a wave of power surge through him and gripped his head where he could hear Ichigo screaming bloody murder. Despite himself he wondered what was happening to the boy. The curiosity quickly passed, however, when he realized Ichigo had stopped fighting. He knew he wasn't dead but he also wasn't moving and that made him grin. " _Maybe it wasn't such a mistake coming here after all,"_ he mused.

Another ten minutes lapsed when Grimmjow again opened the door and said, "Let's go, Lord Lucifer is ready for you."

The Hollow followed him back to the throne room and they entered. Lucifer was standing in the middle of the room talking to two of the creatures he'd no doubt brought with him from Hell. They nodded and were dismissed as he turned his attention to the men in front of him.

"Gentlemen, if you would please," he indicated a table and chairs to the right near another fire burning in an alcove not previously noticed by the Hollow upon his first entrance to the room. They made their way to it and sat.

"I trust the meal you were provided with was sufficient?" the demon king asked.

Grinning widely the Hollow replied, " **Sure, had quite a kick to it and I don't know what the hell was in that drink but it made King settle down."**

"King?" inquired the demon.

" **Um , yeah, that's what I came to calling the host of my body,"** the Hollow replied, not liking that he was suddenly feeling sheepish about it. Previous to this moment he'd used it mockingly but now it seemed foolish to acknowledge Ichigo under such a title.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows before replying, "Interesting, well, seeing as he is bound thoroughly within I would suggest you recount that title. He is but a mere boy."

The Hollow did not reply but merely nodded. He didn't like the power this being had over him but for the moment he pushed it down. Time enough to deal with it later.

"Now then, I believe we will get to business. Grimmjow, your success in completing another phase of our plans has resulted in a problem. The girl has gone deeper into hiding with her red-haired shinigami. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can draw her out?"

Grimmjow muttered a curse before replying, "My lord, originally I had planned on using the shinigami to lure out her last power, but if he is in hiding with her we need to find another target."

Ichigo's Hollow frowned, " **Oi, why all this sneaking around and crap? Just go and take her, how hard can that be?"**

Both Lucifer and Grimmjow looked at him but it was Lucifer who spoke, "For a being who has spent so much time in the presence of said woman your remarks are incredibly ignorant. Do you remember nothing of how she operates? Grimmjow informed me of her propensity to deny protection of herself when she believes it to keep her friends safe. Taking her and threatening her or injuring her will not cause her to call on the last of her powers. However, place someone she cares about, someone she _loves_ , in harm's way and her instinct erupts. No, to get what I want from her requires leverage. Previous to her affections for this lieutenant Abarai, Kurosaki Ichigo would have been our target. Ironically he is still involved through you, though participating in her and his downfall. How poetic."

The Hollow seethed with anger at this curt reprimand and pushed his chair back violently, " **Listen you smug bastard,"** but he reached no further than that. He felt a scalding pain in his side and looking down saw against his side were three claw marks that burned as if acid had touched them. He screamed in pain, clutching his side and falling to the ground.

Lucifer had stood also and made his way to stand over his form, "You will learn respect, boy. Do not make the mistake of requiring the lessons it took Grimmjow to learn it." Out of the corner of his eye the Hollow saw the Espada actually wince at the memory of what happened to him.

The meeting apparently was over now and Grimmjow tasked two demons (the creatures he'd been seeing around the place) with carrying his body back to his room. Once they'd arrived he was laid on the bed and a cloth with salve placed upon his injury. He hissed in pain at the initial contact but soon a cooling effect occurred and he relaxed again, though he was breathing heavily.

" **Damn it, what the hell?"** he asked looking at Grimmjow.

"Consider yourself lucky, Lord Lucifer can be merciless depending on his mood," he remarked looking out the window. This was a very different Grimmjow than the one Ichigo's Hollow knew. When he was in the living world he behaved as the same cocky bastard he'd met in an ally way in Karakura, but here…here he was subdued, submissive even. But after experiencing a mere taste of the pain inflicted by Lucifer's powers the Hollow was beginning to understand why. A sick part of him wanted to push the envelope just because he knew Grimmjow had endured more of whatever punishment Lucifer could dish out before he broke him but another part of him wanted nothing to do with it.

" **Oi, blue hair,"** he said and the sexta looked at him, " **What did he do to you? Don't mistake this for a heart to heart, I don't give two craps about you, but I'm curious to know what could possibly have broken you."** He spoke as mockingly as he could but he really wanted to know.

Grimmjow growled slightly, eyes narrowing, "None of your damn business asshole! Now, get some sleep, you'll need it," he said bitingly before exiting the room.

He'd made his way back to his own chambers which were slightly more extravagant in their dressings. All his furniture was white with silver and blue accents throughout. He decided to shower to ease the tension in his muscles before retiring to bed. He tried to sleep but his memories kept him awake, memories of when he'd met Lucifer and how he'd ended up his bitch.

 _Grimmjow laid in the cool sands of Hueco Mundo, his body bruised from his latest fight with a Menos. He was pissed that he'd received such a thorough beating but glad because he had succeeded in killing the damn thing. Ever since Aizen's defeat and his healing by the woman (he still didn't understand why she'd healed him just enough so he wouldn't die) he'd been flitting back and forth across Hueco Mundo picking fights or having fights picked with him. Part of him knew it was stupid, but he just didn't seem to care anymore. There was nothing left to do as for some reason he couldn't open a garganta anymore. Had he been able to he would have gone after Kurosaki for another rematch._

 _Suddenly he felt a huge wave of spiritual pressure unlike anything he'd ever experienced. This was stronger than Aizen, stronger than Kurosaki in his fully released Hollow form! Standing up quickly, his head swimming from the sudden position change and the pressure flowing around him, he looked over towards the direction of Las Noches. Despite the feeling of foreboding this pressure exerted he was curious and headed in its direction._

 _Upon arrival he found a huge creature, nine feet tall at least, with pitch black skin with grey tribal markings and wings. When the creature turned his head he saw its eyes were bright blue and glowing. Grimmjow landed a good number of feet away before asking, "Who the hell are you?"_

 _The creature revealed sharp pointed teeth in a menacing grin, "Who, pray tell, wants to know?"_

 _The voice stirred something in Grimmjow he'd not felt for centuries: fear. Which of course pissed him off and he steeled his nerves, "Oi, you're the new comer, you answer first, who are you and what are you doing here?"_

 _By now the creature was moving towards him so Grimmjow pulled Pantera from his back and stood in battle position._

" _You really think you are any match for me?" laughed the being._

 _Grimmjow wasted no more time but flash stepped to unleash his attack. Pantera swung downward but was met with a surprisingly immovable object: the being's arm! It was as though his skin were made of tempered steel! Looking up Grimmjow met his azure eyes to the almost sapphire ones of the creature who laughed again before swiping him with his other hand his claws ripping through the flesh of his opponents arm. Grimmjow howled in pain and recoiled cursing as he clutched his injured appendage. Looking down he saw the skin had been burned and was continuing to burn. He received another blow, this one to this stomach and fell to his knees. A third blow fell against his back and he couldn't even cry out anymore he was in so much pain._

" _As I said, you are no match for me!" bellowed the creature._

 _But Grimmjow refused to give up instead choosing to change into his release form. Though it hurt like hell he ran forward to attack again._

 _His strikes against his opponent were like hitting stone and soon he was put down again, burned, bleeding and cursing. His flesh was bubbling up and blood flowed freely from the openings. As he lay dying the being stood over him, "You are an interesting creature, your will for survival is connected so strongly to your pride. It is a pity you have to die; you could have been of entertainment."_

 _Grimmjow spat up blood and replied with a grin, "I'm no one's entertainment, I'm the Panther King, I am for entertaining."_

" _Panther King you say? How curious, I am the King of Hell."_

 _Grimmjow's eyebrows rose, "Excuse me?"_

" _You've never heard of Lucifer, Lord of the underworld?" asked the creature._

" _No, as far as I knew, this was hell," Grimmjow responded, coughing again and wondering at his ability to be able to carrying on a conversation in this state. He could feel his blood seeping deep into the desert sands._

" _This? Hell? Oh my boy, this is heaven compared to hell," Lucifer chuckled, "Tell you what; despite your insistence of it not being your role I've had a millennia of boredom and you amuse me. Serve me and I will give you what you desire. Refuse and I will let you die."_

 _Grimmjow hated serving under Aizen and had vowed he'd never serve anyone again. "What could you possibly give me that would make me want to serve you," he spat out._

" _I could give you the means to truly become the Panther King. You choose your methods, your victims, whatever, but you serve me and help me get what I want. Though of course there is one further condition."_

" _Oh and what would that be?" he coughed up more blood._

" _At the end of your life or should you break our accord your soul, or what is left of it, will be mine and will join me in the true Hell."_

 _Grimmjow could feel his life almost at the end of its tether and though he loathed it he wanted to know why a being as powerful as this one could not simply claim what he wanted himself. He chuckled at the irony that it was curiosity which usually_ _killed_ _the cat but here it would save him. As for his soul? Well, he figured he was lost anyway, so why not get what he could while it was available?_

" _Ok Lucifer, you have a deal," he said. Lucifer grinned and proceeded to call his demon minions to see to Grimmjow's wounds. The healing process was almost as painful as the injuries themselves. Grimmjow had been through a lot of pain in his long life but this took the cake. Despite his pride, he knew he'd do what he could to avoid being put in this place of pain again._

 _It was some weeks later after the palace had been built back up and Grimmjow had been completely healed when Lucifer summoned him to his throne room._

" _Come, I will show you part of what has brought me to this realm," Lucifer said as he exited the room and made his way across the courtyard to another door, this one sealed with a black chain._

" _Realm?" Grimmjow asked confused._

" _Yes you silly naïve creature, did you think that earth, Soul Society and Hueco Mundo were all there are? There are many realms throughout the cosmos. This one just happens to have something I want in it, otherwise I'd not bother with one filled with such lowly beings. Though, as I said, I have been bored for some time now and the creatures of this realm are so entertaining in their quests for power, happiness, love, or whatever else enters their little minds."_

 _Grimmjow definitely did not appreciate being described as a lesser being but he knew he did not have the power to argue the point._

 _Lucifer unlocked the chain on the door and they headed down a spiral stair case deep into the underground. They reached another door and upon its opening Grimmjow saw a medium length blade sitting upon a stand. As they moved closer to it he could see the hilt looked like it was made of gold._

" _What is this?" Grimmjow inspecting it further and noticed something which looked like a jewel imbedded at the top of the hilt, red in color and large._

" _It is the Shun Shun Rikka blade," Lucifer answered._

 _Grimmjow felt that name sounded familiar but he couldn't put his finger on where he'd heard it before. This obviously had something to do with what Lucifer wanted him for._

" _Ok and how does this fit in?"_

 _Lucifer looked annoyed but Grimmjow was thankful to see it was not he who had caused the annoyance, it was the blade._

" _This blade, along with the ring imbedded in its hilt, are weapons of fate. The yielder has immense power to change the fate of others. Its power however has diminished to almost nil as the spirits who power it were extricated some time ago. Should they return their power would be exponentially increased as they would be in their proper home."_

" _Change of fate?" thought Grimmjow, brows furrowed still searching for an elusive awareness in his mind._

" _Much to my great irritation, the goddess of light who created and wielded this blade, successfully charmed it against my influence. Even if I were to possess it at its full power I could not yield it to my will. Thus, I will require a servant to yield at my order. That servant will be you Grimmjow."_

 _Grimmjow turned now to face his new master. He would have power over fate?!_

" _Now you see why I said I could grant you that which you desire most. By obtaining the spirits meant to reside in this blade both our objectives will be fulfilled. Yours to be the true Panther King and mine to add more power to my arsenal."_

" _Where are the spirits?" Grimmjow asked eagerly._

 _Lucifer grinned wickedly, "It has taken some time but my minions located them within the hairpins of a human in the world of the living."_

 _Grimmjow's eyebrows shot up and he said, "The princess."_

 _Lucifer's face showed his interest, "I see you know of whom I speak?"_

" _Yes my lord," Grimmjow replied before relaying to him all that had transpired in Hueco Mundo._

" _Interesting, well, seeing as you are familiar with this girl, I will leave the extrication of the spirits to your hands. As long as you are successful in that mission I will allow you to do it how you see fit. After all, you are establishing yourself as King."_

 _So that day Grimmjow began his plans of how he was going to get the spirits from Orihime Inoue. He'd decided against simply going and getting her. The last time that had happened had not ended well. Plus, he wanted to play a few games with her and her friends over this. Time was infinite and he was going to enjoy the chase before the final capture._


	28. Chapter 28 - Strong House, Strong Arms

**Author's Note: This chapter contains a lemon so if you are not inclined to read such stop reading after Renji and Orihime reach the new safe house.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo**

Waking Up – Chapter 28 – "Strong House, Strong Arms"

It was the morning after Ichigo's Hollow had hijacked his body completely and went with Grimmjow to Hueco Mundo. Orihime and Renji had received the news from Rukia the night it happened and Orihime was almost inconsolable. Renji tried not to let it bother him, this was not the time to be jealous, and he knew that Orihime had chosen him fully and completely. He realized he wasn't necessarily jealous, just pissed off that the orange hair had managed to hurt her again. However, this was also not the time to be pointing fingers of blame. They needed to figure out what to do. There was no hiding this from Soul Society and the repercussions could be severe.

The head captain had read them the riot act for not disclosing the situation regarding Kurosaki. Renji was surprised he hadn't been relieved of duty as he was technically the senior member in charge as Orihime's body guard. However, none would let him take the blame fully. Even though its circumstances were not what he would have wished he was granted the privilege of seeing his friends stand up for him, regardless of the potential wrath it brought down upon them. "Strength in numbers," Ishida had said and they all agreed.

"It goes without saying the safe house is no longer of that category. We must move Inoue Orihime to a more secure location and this time only Lieutenant Abarai will be with her," Yamamoto ordered. Renji was sent coordinates via his soul communicator. Rukia offered to handle closing up things at the Kuchiki safe house while he and Orihime made their way to the new location.

Both packed what they could into a suit case each and left right after the meeting with Yamamoto had concluded. They were not even allowing a driver to know the location so Renji was given a vehicle encased by shielding kido and they were off within an hour. Silence filled the car, both of them lost in their own thoughts.

Orihime turned her head to look at Renji and sighed. " _He looks so tense though I can't blame him, it's been a rough couple of days,"_ she thought. She reached out her hand and to grasp the one he'd had resting on the gear shift. He flicked his eyes towards their intertwined hands and allowed himself a small grin. He hadn't smiled all day and she was glad to see it.

The drive was long and soon Orihime found her eyelids drooping, shaking her head to try to stay awake. Renji noticed, thinking, " _She looks so cute when she's sleepy."_

"Orihime, go ahead and lay the seat back and close your eyes. We still have a good distance to go before we arrive," he said gently.

She shook her head, "But that would not be fair to you, I mean, I know I'm not much company right now but I can't just sleep while you're still doing all the work."

"Work? All I'm doing is driving. Lay down silly girl, I'll feel better knowing you've gotten some rest."

She sighed but didn't continue her argument being too tired to do so. She complied and eased the seat back, falling asleep almost immediately as she was horizontal, snoring lightly causing him to chuckle.

A few hours later he had stopped the car at a gas station to refuel and allow them to take a break. He woke her and she headed to use the restroom while he gathered some snacks and drinks, paying for them along with the gas before heading back to the car. She'd returned by then and was sitting in the passenger seat smiling at him as he walked up.

"I got us a little fuel as well," he said with a grin handing her various snacks he knew she liked. She thanked him with a light kiss before he pulled back and shut her door. They drew back onto the road to continue towards their destination.

When they had reached a shopping center Renji surprised her by pulling into it. Orihime knit her brows in confusion as they parked. He answered her inquisitive look, "Where we are going this time is a bit off the beaten path so we'll have to gather some supplies. I'd rather load up now than have to come back." She nodded her understanding and they went into various stores together gathering food, toiletries, some household items and even bedding. All their purchases complete they loaded up the car and kept going.

Orihime wondered at the irony of the situation. Under other circumstances she and Renji being sequestered to a secluded secret location would have her heart thumping in gleeful anticipation. Her heart was thumping but it was with apprehension due to their situation being so dire. For having had so much peace for so long (barring the occasional hollow encounters in Tokyo) they'd suddenly found themselves losing every fight in one way or another.

Renji noticed her pensive look out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Orihime, what's on your mind love?"

Despite her gloomy mood she smiled at his pet name for her. It made her heart fill with warmth whenever he called her that. Sighing, she answered his question, "I was just thinking about all that's happened."

"Vagueness is not something I'm used to from you," he replied with a grin, thinking back to how she used to ramble endlessly about this, that or the other. When he allowed himself to dwell on it he realized he missed that part of her personality. It hadn't shown itself in the past few days but then again, she'd been through a lot. They all had been really but being a healer lent her to being an empath which meant she was more affected by the turmoil going on around them than others.

She smiled at his teasing before continuing, "I know, lately it's been hard to find the words to describe what I'm feeling. I guess I'm kind of in shell shock. I mean, we went from relatively nothing happening to three encounters with Grimmjow over the course of three days, all of which resulted in his taking something of value from us…from me."

His grin faded at her words. Yes, they were all feeling the effects of the assaults but she was right. Grimmjow had taken two of her powers and one of her friends. Gripping the wheel tightly in his anger Renji vowed again to himself and whatever Kami may be listening to help her get back what she had lost.

After another hour of driving Renji took a small turn off that Orihime was sure no one would see unless they were looking for it. The road went from smooth and even to bumpy fairly quickly and she realized the reason they had been given an SUV; a regular car would have not fared well here. They went deep into a wooded area and she realized just how literal Renji had been when he said this place was off the beaten path.

They reached a clearing with the side a large rock wall before them. The trees basically created a cul de sac and looking up she could see the branches completely blocked the sky. It was pitch black save for the headlights of their car. Renji left the lights on when they stopped so they could see their way. He got out and told her to wait in the car. Once he'd reached the wall he traced along it until he found what he was looking for: a small sliver that unseen unless one were searching for it. He reached in the pocket of his jeans and took out something that was the size of a business card and slipped it into opening. A moment later there was a rumbling as part of the rock face slid to the side. Orihime's eyes-widened in surprise, this was not what she had been expecting at all.

Renji had returned to the vehicle and drove into the cavernous darkness. Stopping when they were just inside he headed to the same area where he'd put the card in and took it back out from the other side. The rock slid back into place with a resounding crash and he got back into the car to continue their journey. Should they not have had the headlights there would be no way to see where they were going. Orihime felt both apprehensive and secure, this was certainly a new form of a safe house!

Eventually they rounded a bend in the road and the lights hit upon a small but quaint cabin like abode. "This is home until further notice," Renji said as he parked the car. "I know it's extreme and feels like too little too late but I hope this is acceptable." She unbuckled her seatbelt, turned in her seat and leaned over the gear shift to kiss him deeply. He was surprised at the action but returned her kiss reaching up to grasp behind her head. When she moved away she had a smile on her face.

"As long as you are with me wherever we go will be acceptable," she said in a low sweet voice.

He felt a palpitation of joy and it was his turn to lean to her, holding her face with both hands as he kissed her again. She sighed contently into his mouth and he groaned at the heat building in his groin. He couldn't believe how just kissing her could get him riled up so fast. They broke apart again, both breathing heavily and smiled at each other.

"Come on, let's get unpacked and settled in," he said.

She followed his lead, him taking the bulk of the load while she gathered what items she could carry. While he returned to the car for more items she busied herself with putting away the food. When he'd unloaded the car he started a fire in the hearth. Renji had never been to this particular strong house and so when he'd completed his task he went outside with a flashlight to survey their surrounding. The cavern was huge and he could hear water running somewhere. Turning he saw the road actually continued past the cabin heading in an upward trajectory. " _There must be a waterfall or stream,"_ he thought to himself walking a little further up the road. " _Of course, they would make sure there was water nearby, how else would anyone be able to stay here for a long period of time?"_ He took some time to walk the perimeter and familiarized himself with the dwelling's security measures. Entering the building he walked throughout it. It was considerably smaller than he'd imagined it would be since it was intended for high profile guests but he supposed simplicity worked better. He found a door leading deep underground and he found a large opening. His flashlight fell upon a door that looked to be to a panic room. Flitting the light across the rest of the opening he saw a weapons cache on one wall and more storage which could be filled with more supplies should an extended stay be necessary.

Returning to the main level and making his way to the bedroom he heard the shower running in the bathroom. He smiled, noting Orihime had already unpacked their suit cases and made the bed. Surprisingly he wasn't as tired as he thought he would be so he sat in the living room next to the fire reading while he waited for her. He was fairly lost in the story in front of him and did not hear her enter the room.

"Renji," her soft voice said and when he looked up he dropped the book. She was wearing a silk royal purple floor length nightgown with a slit up the right side. It hugged her curves perfectly and her red tresses glowed in the fire light. His throat suddenly felt dry and he swallowed trying to find his voice but was struck dumb with the vision before him. Apparently he was immobile too because he couldn't move and just sat there staring at her.

She giggled slightly at his expression and moved slowly forward. Upon reaching him she sat sideways on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. At her contact he moved on autopilot, wrapping his arms around her waist keeping his eyes on her beautiful face. Finally he spoke in a hoarse whisper, "You look amazing." She smiled brightly and leaned down to kiss him lightly on the lips but when she went to pull back his hand flew behind her head pulling her into a deeper kiss.

Releasing her lips he trailed his down her chin, to her neck giving light kisses that caused goosebumps to form on her skin while massaging the nape of her neck with one hand and rubbing her thigh with the other. She was breathing more heavily as he continued his attentions going further down her neck to the top of her chest. Her hands gripped the back of his neck tightly at first but then she moved her hand to the tie of his pony tail and pulled it out to run her finger through his crimson hair.

"Of all the times," he asked throatily still kissing her neck, now with firmer pressure, adding his tongue against her skin now and again causing her to gasp, "you choose now to seduce me? Are you sure you want this now?" When he'd spoken this last question he'd stopped his attentions to her neck and pulled her face to look at him. Her eyes were hazy, her breath deeper and her face flushed with pleasure, not embarrassment. This was a new blush he'd not seen before and he thought her exquisite.

Her breathing was still uneven as she was nervous. Nervous because she'd never done anything like this with anyone before and nervous because she wasn't sure how he would react when she said what she needed to. In the past she would never have been this forward but she'd decided her time of being afraid was over.

"Renji," she began voice barely above a whisper, "I…I know we haven't been together long, at least not officially. But the months we've spent getting to know each other have been the happiest of my life. I mean that, the very happiest of all my memories." His eyes widened as she continued, "And I know without any doubt that…I…" here she faltered again, the fear of rejection creeping in and she closed her eyes. He waited but she still stayed silent. Suddenly she squealed when he pinched her side and her eyes flew open to meet his.

"Oi, I'm waiting in suspense here woman, you what?" he said with mock irritation.

This made her giggle and feel light hearted again. Staring in his eyes, full of sincerity, of honor and cherishment she found the courage to continue, "Renji, I love you." His face betrayed his surprise and he leaned back a little to take in more of her face. She waited, breath baited, for his reply. Seconds ticked by feeling like hours but he stayed silent as he stared at her face. She was beginning to get nervous again when he suddenly grabbed her waist and hips to rotate her into a straddled position on his lap. He swallowed her gasp of surprise with a hungry kiss, hands roaming up and down her back, into her hair and through it then down to her hips where they rested in a firm grip. He pulled away, both of them gasping at the intensity of the kiss, and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closed.

"Orihime, I love you too. I knew the morning after you told me you'd picked me over Ichigo that I loved you but I thought it was too soon to tell you," he said before kissing her again and then continuing, "I crave you like nothing else in this world or Soul Society. You have become fused to my soul and I never want to be apart from you but…" she stopped him with a finger to his lips causing him to look up into her eyes. Now she had leaned back to bring his face fully into focus before she spoke.

"Renji, I know what you're going to say but I don't want you to. I understand your reservations and why you hesitate. But I don't care about the obstacles we will face. We will always have trials, challenges and danger in our path. But now, because we have each other, we walk one path together giving us hope in the face of adversity, happiness in the midst of trouble, and love in the middle of pain. I know this won't be easy but that fact does not change how much I want to be yours _completely_. We are fused in heart, soul and mind. I want to fuse in body as well. All my life I've hesitated, waiting for perfect moments that never come. I want this with you and I want it now." Her words were strongly said, no wavering, no stuttering or hesitation, spoken with full conviction of her heart. He heeded her request and as he stood up her legs wrapped easily around his waist. She hugged her whole body to his as he walked to the bedroom.

He set her down on her feet in front of the bed and stroked the side of her face with his battle-hardened hands. Her skin was so smooth, almost like porcelain and he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in this moment. He kissed her gently at first, savoring the feeling of her lips before deepening the kiss to taste her mouth. She sighed and ran her fingers through his hair again eliciting a groan of deep pleasure from him. He couldn't believe how the simplest of her touches could ignite him.

Gripping the smooth fabric of her nightgown he pulled it up higher until they broke contact of their lips so he could lift it over her head. He dropped it to the ground and stood back to look at her. In that one fluid motion he'd lain her bare before him and his eyes hungrily drank in the sight of her form. She blushed slightly under the intensity of his gaze but made herself stand still. When he'd moved to remove his clothing she said slightly embarrassed but forging ahead, "Renji, I…I know the gigais are well made but…I want to feel _you_ , the real you." He couldn't stop the grin of pride on his face.

"Ok Orihime, wait here, I'll be right back," he said kissing the tip of her nose. He walked into the living room and extricated himself from the gigai, leaving it on the couch, before heading back to the bedroom. Orihime was sitting on the bed when he came in and roamed her eyes over his shinigami form. She couldn't stop herself from moving to him, wanting to participate in the removal of his clothing. He grinned at the irony that he was the one on display for her now. They hadn't had a rapid fire of clothing removal, stumbling in the dark as he had done with some of his former bedfellows. No, this was slow, sensual and full of significance.

When she'd reached him, her eyes engulfed with a fire of passion he'd not seen before, he chuckled and said, "Interesting response, it's not like you haven't seen me like this before."

"Yes, but now I'm allowed to ogle you. It's true what they say about a man in uniform. You're so handsome and sexy," she said, her voice low and full of desire. He wondered when she'd turned into such a minx. He was gratified and a little surprised that she wasn't shy of showing her body to him. He'd believed it possible that when he'd told her to wait for him she would have covered up but here she was, standing fully nude in front of him and saying things in a voice that caused his erection to firm up even more. If he thought he'd known what desire was before he realized now he had been sorely mistaken. He had never, in his entire life, felt the things he was feeling with anyone else but the woman standing in front of him now.

While he'd been thinking these thoughts Orihime had been busy with her hands, loosening the sash of his shihakusho and pushing it apart exposing his chest. She ran her finger lightly over his skin causing him to inhale sharply from the pleasure. " _If little touches get me this excited I just may die from anything more,_ " he thought as he enjoyed the tracing of her fingers over his tattoos. Before she moved further he reached behind him and removed Zabimaru leaning him against the dresser behind them. She then pushed the cloth more and it fell from his shoulders. He lifted his arms out of the sleeves, torso completely exposed, watching her face.

Orihime was no stranger to Renji's muscles; she'd felt them during her training which had been a distraction to say the least when her attraction to him had begun increasing. But now it was like she was seeing him for the first time. His chest looked like chiseled rock, abs perfectly defined. The man had no excess body fat on him at all. She moved forward to rub his back muscles and felt him tense at the connection of her chest to his.

Renji was losing his battle for control of himself, the worst of it being he knew she was not trying to tease him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back breaking their contact. Her eyes were full of concern but he silenced her doubts by kissing her firmly as he guided her hands to the sash again. She understood his want and untied it completely allow the robes to fall away completely leaving him in only his shitagi. Still kissing her he stepped out of the underclothing and she felt him completely bare against her.

Her cheeks were on fire. She'd never felt nor seen a man like this before but she was determined not to shy away. She broke the kiss and looked down. To say he was well endowed would be an understatement and her nervousness increased tenfold. He saw the concern in her eyes and lifted her chin, bringing her gaze back to him.

"We'll go slowly and if at any time you want to stop just say so, I want you to enjoy everything we do ok? I know it's difficult but it will be easier if you can relax. But don't worry," he leaned forward kissing her neck again, sucking slightly on the skin while sliding his hand over her smooth stomach and up to cup one of her breasts, "I know how to relax you. Trust me, Hime," he ended huskily against her throat. Her breathing had increased again, the pleasure she felt from his caress heating up her body. She merely nodded and he picked her up again to walk her back to the bed.

Laying her down he nestled beside her, one hand under the small of her back the other slowly gliding up and down her body, touching her with light then firm grasps as he kissed her neck. Her breathing was increasing and he whispered, "Easy, close your eyes and just relax." She did as told and slowed down the intake of her breaths. Now Renji leaned up and was hovering over her, both arms extended just enough to keep his full weight off of her but she could feel his skin against hers and it was amazing. He had moved his lips down her neck towards her chest, kissing lightly then firmly sucking, alternating as he moved down. She gasped at the sensation of his lips and teeth at her breast, her nipple hardening under his attention. She couldn't believe how amazing his mouth felt on her body.

Still moving he kissed his way down her stomach, tickling her slightly and making her giggle. He grinned but kept moving. Soon he was pushing her knees apart slightly and kissing up and down her thighs. Orihime wondered how this was supposed to relax her because she felt pent up and excited, impatient for something she wasn't quite sure of since everything was so new to her. Her eyes flew open in surprise as she uttered a guttural groan of pure ecstasy when she felt his mouth and tongue on her heated core. Never had she felt anything like this in her entire life and it was almost unbearably pleasurable. Her legs were moving on their own accord and she felt his strong hands hold her still, not breaking the contact of his mouth but increasing the pressure.

"Oh Renji, oh Kami," she panted and he grinned again, loving the noises he was wringing from his woman. When he pulled back she whimpered slightly but then inhaled sharply again as he inserted two fingers into her before lavishing her with his tongue again. Her cries of his name were getting louder the higher he drove her pleasure and it was driving his libido crazy but he kept the focus solely on her. It didn't take much longer for her to release, leaning up as she cried out before crashing back down onto the bed.

Now she understood what Renji meant by relaxed! Her limbs felt heavy and she tingled all over but she was happy. She felt him move away from her for a moment and heard water running. Then he was back lying next to her and stroking her hair. She opened her eyes to meet his amused ones saying, "Renji..that was…I mean…wow!" He laughed out loud and kissed her lips lightly before saying against them, "I'm glad you enjoyed it Hime, I loved giving you that much pleasure."

"What about you?" she asked and his smile increased.

"That's my Hime, always worried about everyone else. I'm fine," he said softly.

She indicated she wanted him on top of her again and he gladly obliged. Kissing him heavily she ran her hands up and down his firm back reveling in the feeling of his muscles. His strength had been something she'd admired from afar and now being able to touch it was almost unbelievable to her. She broke their kiss and reaching down grabbed his shaft causing him to almost stop breathing as she cooed in his ear, "Renji, take me now, I'm ready for you."

He needed no further encouragement and kissed her heatedly with almost bruising force but she loved it. She loved that he wanted to ravish her, that he didn't treat her like a breakable object but a hot blooded, desire filled woman. He moved from her lips to kiss her shoulder, nipping at the skin slightly before leaning up and positioning himself to a better angle over her. Looking deep into her eyes he asked, "Are you ready? This may hurt." She nodded and he pushed into her quickly, breaking her seal and causing her to cry out. He smothered her lips with his again before kissing all over her face as she eased into the feeling of having him within her.

A few moments later she rolled her hips and felt amazing pleasure of a different sort. Their connection was so complete she really did feel they were fused together and marveled at the sensation. Slowly they built up a rhythm of give and take, both breathing hard, gasping each other's names. Renji wanted to give her his best but he was so worked up from their earlier tryst that he wasn't sure he'd last as long as he normally would. He was surprised to see the tell tale signs of her reaching her peak again so quickly but he wasn't going to wonder about it too much. He was glad he could make her feel this good while enjoying pleasure of his own. He increased his pace and she cried out his name again and again. Before much longer he'd been satiated and felt his release come strong within her. She followed a heart beat later and he all but collapsed on her chest, trying to not crush her with his full weight.

She hugged her body around his and kissed his neck before he extricated himself from her and rolled to his back. She followed his motion and laid her head on his chest hearing his rapid heartbeat which matched her own.

Inhaling deeply she said upon her exhale, "I love you Renji Abarai."

He grinned and gripped her tightly replying, "I love you so much Orihime Inoue."

In the next moments they were fast asleep wrapped in each other's arms.


	29. Chapter 29 - Change the Game

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.**

Waking Up – Chapter 29 – "Change the Game"

It had been a few weeks since Renji and Orihime had gone into deep hiding. Grimmjow had been given reign over a legion of demons as well as his Arrancar and put them to work seeking out the shinigami and healer. However, the strong house lived up to its name and the occupants deep within were undetectable.

Soul Society had been busy in its own right with training increasing as every able bodied soul reaper was prepped and tested as fast but thoroughly as possible. Fourth Division had gained more ranks as everyone felt something big was coming.

Chad had been training with Rukia at Kisuke's shop and even Isshin had joined them from time to time. Uryu made time in his exceptionally busy schedule to train on his own while remaining in Tokyo. They were determined to not have a repeat of Aizen so everyone was doing all they could.

Orihime and Renji were training as well though he did not want her in the fight should it reach them. She of course felt incredibly guilty as she believed everyone's efforts were her fault.

"Hime, why do you always blame yourself? You've done nothing wrong! It's a good thing you exist! Many of us would be dead without you. Crazy bastards are always going to be grabbing for whatever power they can get. Please, stop apologizing for other people's decisions," he said sternly during one of their many late night conversations.

Deep in her heart she knew he was right but at the same time she felt guilty because she had partially healed Grimmjow before they left Hueco Mundo though why still eluded her. The only reason she could come up with was she felt indebted to him for his odd protection of her during some of her time in during her captivity. That and she just couldn't stand by when someone was wounded. When she had confessed this to Renji he'd furrowed his brows, mostly in confusion rather than anger.

And when she explained her reasoning he said, "Love, you are literally the most tender hearted person I've ever met but you need to understand, you cannot do that anymore. You cannot heal enemies, no matter how bad you feel for them."

"I know Renji, that's part of my past now. I understand where my foolishness has led and that is why I feel guilty about all of this," she'd replied eyes downcast. For all the confidence and empowerment she'd acquired in the almost year they'd spent together Renji knew they still had a long way to go before she really believed in herself. There were years and years of constant berating (mainly from herself) to overcome. But he vowed to be there every step of the way with her.

He'd stood then and walked over to where she sat at the table to kneel down in front of her. When she'd met her eyes to his he offered a smile small of encouragement, "Hime that is all past now. Remember what you said to me our first night here? We're on a path which means we need to move forward on it. I don't blame you for any of this and neither does anyone else. So let's focus on the here and now and what we can do to get ready for the future as best we can, ok?"

Back in Hueco Mundo Ichigo's Hollow was getting more and more impatient. All this waiting around drove him insane! He wanted to get out there and look for the queen himself but had been forbidden to leave until ordered. His reiatsu was too noticeable, as was Grimmjow's, which was why the lower level Arrancars and demons were doing the searching.

During a quiet moment of the seemingly endless day the Hollow felt Ichigo stirring. It was the first he'd noticed any movement in him for days.

" _Oi you bastard, get in here!"_ he heard him scream but the Hollow smirked to himself.

" **No way Ki..er…Ichigo,"** he said his tongue almost slipping out the old familiar mockery, " **You're going to stay locked up nice and tight. Can't have my plans for the queen spoiled now, can I?"**

" _And what exactly do you plan on doing with her once you get her? Huh?"_

" **Everything you want to but are too chicken to do!"** he spat out.

Ichigo cringed and cursed himself for reigning himself in better. Because of his recklessness in how he thought about Orihime he'd riled up his Hollow to be willing to take her by force. He would _never_ do that so the fact that even one small part of him was entertaining those thoughts made him sick to his stomach. During his forced imprisonment he'd wandered further and further into his inner world. All he'd ever known was the sky with clouds (which were raging black but for some reason there was no rain at the moment), the lopsided buildings and his spirits. Zangetsu had been strangely absent during this time and Ichigo wondered if because the Hollow was in full control he'd been sequestered for the moment.

He was glad to be able to move again. That first day in Hueco Mundo when the Hollow had eaten and drank those awful concoctions a wave of black, burning sludge had coursed through his world making him immobile and sapping his strength at the same time. So when he had been able to move he did some exploring of his own world. It was during this time that his theory about why his Hollow was obsessed with Orihime had formulated.

He'd found a dark area far away from the buildings that seemed to hold boxes. When he'd opened one he was shocked to see if contained a painful memory. The next one held another painful memory. The third was filled with a fantasy he'd had of kissing Orihime while they were still in high school. The images of him suddenly pushing her against the wall in an alcove of the stairs and kissing her played out in front of him. At the time of the though he'd been stunned and pushed it away like so many others. And it was then he realized when he'd been in pain or trying to not think about something his subconscious had literally put it in a box and pushed it the shadows of his mind. His Hollow had found the boxes and looked through all of them. He was sure of it. That was part of how he knew his weaknesses so thoroughly and also why his mutated desire of Orihime manifested.

Ichigo cursed and slammed the lid down on the box so pissed at himself he could scream. It was his fault again that she was in danger; that she had to put her life on hold and go into hiding. All his fault!

"DAMN IT!" he screamed and hurled the box he'd been holding. He was breathing heavily and sunk back down again to his knees, head held in his hands. "How can I fix this? What can I do?" he said out loud.

" **There's not a damn thing you can do about it Ichigo, so just sit back and enjoy the ride,"** the Hollow laughed.

It was a week later when Grimmjow had also grown tired of waiting. He wanted to get moving with the next phase of the plan but hesitated as he'd prefer to have all the spirits in the blade. The ones he had now protested loudly against him but they were compelled to follow his orders through the power of the ring and blade. The ring had been a transportation device to get them back to the blade as well as something akin to a dog collar. No matter how much they bitched about it the spirits _had_ to do as he ordered.

Lucifer had summoned him to discuss their next plan of action.

"I feel it is time to move forward, this waiting has grown tiresome," he said and Grimmjow nodded his agreement.

"I believe it is time to change the game. No doubt the cat and mouse chase has been enjoyable for you I am sure but now the real entertainment will begin. I am inclined to believe that once word reaches the dear healer that her friends and comrades are dropping like flies she will come out and in her haste to help them give us what we want," he continued and again the sexta Espada nodded.

Grimmjow came to the room where Ichigo's Hollow was and said, "It's time to get moving on our next steps. You will lead the demons and I the Arrancars. The lower level Hollows will stay here for now," he explained coolly.

" **And what exactly are the next steps**?" the Hollow countered.

Grimmjow donned a feral grin as he said, "Utter destruction and conquering of Soul Society and the Living World. Do you have a tight hold of the leash on Kurosaki?"

The Hollow could feel his counterpart stirring as he listened to Grimmjow's words but he was still in no condition to fight his way out, not yet.

" **Yeah, no problem,"** he retorted and the two headed to meet with their troops.

Grimmjow gripped the hilt of the Shun Shun Rikka blade tightly as he walked the lines of his army. There were many Arrancar but far more demons since the war waged by Aizen had cost many their lives. Truth be told he felt nothing for the loss other than irritation that it had cost him soldiers now. The plan was to attack in the world of the living to draw out the shinigamis and barrel through their spirit gate once it had opened. Preparations were brief, all had their weapons ready and so Grimmjow opened a large garganta leading his army through with the Hollow and his close behind.

They had arrived in Tokyo as it was Orihime's last known location. Uryu felt their overwhelming presence immediately and his eyes widened when he looked to the sky and saw hundreds of being standing in the air. He spotted Grimmjow effortlessly and gritted his teeth at Ichigo's form next to him. He called Kisuke right away on his cell phone, "I don't know what you can do but you need to get to Tokyo NOW," he said before he slammed the phone shut and quickly manifested his bow.

Grimmjow saw him and flash stepped in front of him, Ichigo's form following close behind. The armies stood awaiting command.

"Oi, you can avoid a lot of bloodshed if you just tell us where the princess is," Grimmjow told the Quincy.

Ishida's response was to release an arrow directly at his head. He dodged it and the next and the next as Ishida kept firing. He was fairly sure he was going to die here knowing he couldn't hold off Grimmjow by himself for long. Plus with Ichigo's Hollow in control there was no telling how bad this could get and quickly. He sent a silent prayer that Ichigo would regain control and join the battle on their side.

Before he could fire a fourth arrow Grimmjow had him by the throat and was lifting him in the air.

"So, you're going to do this the hard way, eh?" he asked mockingly as he squeezed tighter. Ishida gurgled as he tried to breath but knew it was useless. His eyes grew hazy as grey flicked the sides and soon he'd passed out. Grimmjow dropped him and moved. Ichigo was screaming from within for Ishida to wake up but the Hollow moved away before he'd been able to see if his comrade was still breathing.

As predicted, once their reiatsu had been detected, two Senkaimon's opened and out poured many shinigami. There weren't as many as the army they faced but they were well versed in the art of multiple enemy combat. Grimmjow flicked his wrist at them and the Arrancar army took off to engage them. Ichigo's hand made a similar movement and off went the demons to fight. The clash and clang of metal filled the night sky as the battle raged.

There were so many demons that the shinigamis couldn't hold them back and they began to pour into Soul Society.

Lucifer stepped out into the world of the living and surveyed the battles with a satisfied grin. They were already beating back the shinigamis with their overwhelming forces. Bodies were falling quickly as his demons mercilessly cut them down. He strolled to a Senkaimon and into Soul Society where panic had grown to immense proportions. People were scrambling to get away but there was nowhere to run.

Yamamoto released his bankai at Lucifer but the demon merely laughed and held it at bay. His power was astronomical and all felt the crushing weight of despair at seeing their strongest so easily countered. Yamamoto was not giving up and continued to engage in battle against Lucifer but he was not gaining ground. He took one hit and then another before Shunsui and Ukitake could reach him. Uonhana had arrived to treat their head captain's wounds while the two captains waged their own battle against the king of Hell.

The captains and lieutenants had split themselves between Soul Society and the world of the living. While they were able to cut down many enemies many more swarmed in their place. It had become a massacre on both sides.

Then Grimmjow stepped up and using Koten Zanshun he decimated buildings in Soul Society, killing many in one blow. It was terrifying, there was nothing to stop him and he knew it. His eyes practically glowed with the wealth of power he was feeling. Though his own reiatsu was what generated this power the spirits had some of their own to offer through the blade thus making his attacks that much more devastating.

His use of Santen Kesshun was flawless. Because of the boost in power it was no longer a one-sided shield but an all encompassing sphere blocking all attacks. Neither kido nor bankai could penetrate it though Zaraki was giving it his all, going so far as to remove his reiatsu suppressor from his eye but even that did not allow him to get through.

"Zaraki! Do not waste your energy on a losing battle, focus your attacks to the soldiers," yelled Byakuya as he sliced through another demon. Kenpachi grunted his disapproval but did what he was told and flew after another Arrancar.

Deep in the underground, though it was encased in some of the most advanced reiatsu blocking materials available, both Renji and Orihime could sense the battle raging above them because of the wealth of powers present.

"We need to get out there, we need to help!" Orihime cried running for the door towards the car.

Renji caught up to her and held her to himself tightly, "Hime, we can't! The whole point of you being here is so they can't get you so we can't go!"

She struggled against his hold, crying, "No, no, no! I can feel people dying, our friends Renji! They are dying and we have to help them!"

He spun her around and held her head in his hands staring into her eyes, "Orihime, please listen to me. If we go out there all that will happen is Grimmjow or Ichigo will take you and in one way or another get you to release your final power. My sole job now is to protect you, so no matter how much this makes you hate me I cannot let you go out there. Do you think I want to stay while my friends and comrades are dying? I want to leave as much as you but we can't." His tone was fierce, he knew he was hurting her but he couldn't make her understand any other way. They simply could not leave.

Her eyes burned with fury and pain, tears streaming down her cheeks as she returned his gaze. In a surprisingly controlled voice she said as she placed her hands over his which held her face, "Renji, I know what will happen. It's all been leading to this but…we cannot let our friends just die. I cannot stand by and let this happen. Even if it means our peril we need to fight! What good am I just staying in hiding? Obviously what Grimmjow had planned was larger than anyone thought. Staying here is no longer an option, we have to go, we have to!"

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead to hers, both breathing heavily from the weight of their emotions. He wanted to scream with frustration because he knew she was right. Even if they could hold out until the battle was over what then? The moment they left to get supplies they would be found. And what would they find? All of their friends dead? Their worlds destroyed? No, he knew neither of them would be able to live with themselves if they stayed. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, breathing in her scent.

When he released her he took her hands in his and said, "Ok, we most likely are heading to our deaths but we will die fighting, not hiding."

She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly as she said, "I love you, I've loved every single moment with you, the good and the bad."

He squeezed her back, hating that it seemed most likely this was their final moment together. Once they were out in the open all bets were off. He could try to keep her close to him but while engaging the enemy in battle that was a farfetched idea.

"I love you too, I will love you for all the remainder of my days, be they just one more or eternity," he said softly.

Before leaving he grabbed the sword she had been training with, handed it to her and they headed to the car. Driving to the entrance they both exited it and headed to the door. Renji extracted himself from his gigai before opening the door and they stepped out. Over Tokyo they could see the battle raging and widened both their eyes at the horror of it. A blast of red was seen followed by a loud explosion and Orihime gasped.

"That was Tsubaki," she said in a hoarse whisper, tearing sliding down her cheeks. Renji stepped up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"It's faster to get there if I use shunpo. I would leave you here but I know you'd follow anyway so I'm going to try to keep you with me if I can. Do not hesitate to use that sword properly, you hear me?" he said looking deep into her eyes. She nodded and a moment later he'd flash stepped up into the sky. They were moving at tremendous speed and soon were near the edges of the battle.

Their presence had drawn the attention of Ichigo's Hollow who suddenly appeared before them. Orihime's heart wrenched seeing him like this. She'd hoped and prayed Ichigo would have regained control by now.

" **I believe you have something of mine,** " sneered the spirit looking at Orihime. She couldn't stop her flinch at his words and clung tighter to Renji.

"I have to put you down in order to fight him love," he whispered to her. She nodded and he moved again fast to the ground releasing her. The Hollow had moved with them but Renji swung Zambimaru forward meeting him to Zangetsu. He pushed Ichigo back away from Orihime and engaged him again higher in the air. Orihime clung to her sword as she watched the battle but kept her eyes moving for any other enemies headed their way. She didn't feel she could do much but she would try.

She sensed some of the demons headed their way and squared into a fighting stance. At the first impact of her sword to another she winced but she held firm. Her training kicked in and she was able to defend herself fairly well, though she knew eventually they would gang up on her and she'd be lost. Suddenly blue arrows flew by her and pierced two of the demons in front of her. Another sailed by catching a third above her head. Turning she saw a very bloody Ishida firing his weapon, his eyes as hard as steel. The immediate danger averted she ran to him and flung her arms around him, partly to hug him and partly to help him not fall. He was exhausted from blood loss.

"Let me heal you," she said setting him down gently on his knees but he grabbed the wrist of the hand she held on his shoulder and said, "No, Inoue, you cannot do that."

"Grimmjow is not here, I don't sense him, let me heal you while we have time," she said strongly and before he could protest again she uttered, "Soten Kishun." Her dome settled over him and his wounds began to close, blood circulating better and his breathing sounded even. She'd been training to heal faster so this time it did not take as long as it would have previously. Within two minutes he was ready to go again, better than before. He stood, strong and tall, hugged her and place a chaste kiss on the top of her head.

"Thank you Inoue," he said and flitted back to the battle.

During her time of healing, Renji's fight with Ichigo's Hollow had been going badly. The spirit was so strong and fast it made keeping up with him difficult. Renji was bleeding profusely and breathing hard.

" _I have to win, I have to! I can't leave Orihime!"_ he thought clashing his sword to Ichigo's again. Part of the problem with fighting the Hollow is he was extremely unpredictable in his movements. Suddenly he saw him look down at Orihime and then bolt directly for her. Renji intercepted him again but the hit took a large toll on his body. The next instance he felt Grimmjow's reiatsu and knew they were in deep trouble.

Looking over at Orihime he screamed, "RUN!" He knew she wouldn't make it far but he had to try to give her time to get away. She'd started moving and he could see Grimmjow coming their direction. The Hollow had started his pursuit of her so Renji engaged Grimmjow seeing him as the bigger threat. He hoped and prayed that somewhere within Ichigo's body the man within would gain the upper hand to protect the woman they both loved.

Orihime was running as fast she could but she knew she'd never outrun shunpo. She could feel Ichigo's raging reiatsu barreling down on her. Just when she thought he would reach her she heard a crash and looked back. Kisuke and Rukia had intercepted the Hollow and were fighting him back.

"Keep running Orihime!" Rukia shouted but before she could turn back around Zangetsu had run through her!

"RUKIA!" screamed Orihime as she watched in horror while her friend fell to the ground. She made no further movement and the healer knew she was dead. Kisuke was still fighting to keep the Hollow away from Orihime. He was enraged but knew he had to reign in his emotions otherwise he would be beaten.

Orihime couldn't move, so traumatized by seeing her friend killed by the form of Ichigo. She felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and looked up into the face of Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Come on girl, we need to get you away from here," he said gruffly and shunpo'd away. Orihime was numb, she couldn't even cry.

Ichigo's Hollow said to Kisuke, " **I've been waiting to give you some pay back Hat n' Clogs!"**

Kisuke merely grunted and clashed swords again. Suddenly the Hollow flew into the air only to zip down again as he fiercely called out, " **Getsuga Tensho!"**

Kisuke knew he could not block it nor get out of the way fast enough and was hit full force with the attack. He fell to the ground bleeding heavily and knew he was done. His last breath was drawn looking into the smiling face of one of his greatest pupils.

Zaraki had simply kept moving with Orihime in one arm, his zanpakuto in the other fending off the demons and Arrancars that pursued them. As they were moving Orihime reached out with her senses, looking for spiritual pressures. She was horrified to realize Kisuke's had left him. He was dead too after his encounter with Ichigo's Hollow. Next she looked for Renji and found he was near Grimmjow but was not doing well. The next moment she felt Ichigo's Hollow near them as well and he was being double teamed by the frightening pair.

"Zaraki-taichou, please, you need to help Renji. He can't take them both on by himself," Orihime pleaded.

"Our orders are to protect you, Inoue Orihime, I'm not taking you into the thick of that fight no matter how much I want to kick that orange-haired punk's ass!" he said fiercely.

"Zaraki-taichou, efforts to save me are futile now, there is so much already lost. Please, I can't let them take him too," she pleaded.

Sighing heavily he relented, his thirst for blood against his most formidable opponent winning the day. They turned direction and headed towards the fight. Orihime could see Renji come into view, badly beaten but still standing. Kenpachi set her down on the ground before rapidly ascending to reach Ichigo and engage him in battle. Grimmjow had knocked Renji down to the ground and then settled his eyes on Orihime. He grinned as he flash stepped to her and grabbed her wrist.

"Finally got you princess!" he growled, "Now then, release your last powers!"

Orihime stood still looking at him for a moment before she replied, "I will release them but only if you allow them to heal Renji first."

"Tch, so typical a request, let me save my love first! What do you think will happen after you heal him? He'll merely be beaten to a bloody pulp again!" He reared his other hand back and smacked her hard.

Her face stung and her head was ringing but Orihime stood firm, "Should you kill me you will never get them. Let me heal him."

Renji had seen the strike and bellowed in anger, racing over to them and crashing Zambimaru against Pantera. But he was so weakened Grimmjow was able to push him back with little effort even while holding onto Orihime's wrist. He fell again, breathing hard.

"Fine girl, there he is, heal him up and then say goodbye to all your sprites, they're mine now!"

He released her and she ran to Renji's side. "No, Hime, no, you can't do this," he said through gasping breaths. She didn't bother to respond but merely said, "Soten Kishun." Renji healed quickly but before Shuno and Ayame could return to her hairpins Grimmjow had already trapped them using the Shun Shun Rikka ring. They were deposited into the blade with their fellow spirits and the captures had been completed.

The next moment Grimmjow was next to the pair, yanking Orihime back and thrusting Pantera forward. Renji blocked it only to be hit from the side by Ichigo's Hollow. Zaraki lay on the ground, breathing but barely alive. Renji and the Hollow fought furiously but Renji kept trying to get past him to Orihime. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" she shouted, worried that he would be so focused on her he'd let his guard down. He saw that she really was alright and turned his attention back to his fight with the Hollow.

Lucifer had made his way back over to the world of the living and stood by Grimmjow watching the battle between the shinigami and the Hollow. Orihime's eyes grew wide when she saw Lucifer and he turned his piercing eyes to her. Floating down he stood before her and said, "So, this is the woman who held the power of fate? What a meek little creature to hold such power." His voice made her skin crawl with fear.

"Who are you," she asked shakily.

"The King of Hell little one, and I'm expanding my kingdom," he answered icily.

"What? I mean..." she began but trailed off before she formed her question.

"Hmmm?" he inquired bending down closer to her and she shrank away.

Swallowing hard Orihime was shocked to find her voice, "How…how can you expand your kingdom? Aren't you part of keeping the balance of souls?"

He smirked and leaned even closer, "What a funny little brain you have. My dominion over Hell was _earned_ not appointed. I do as I please. For a millennia my realm was sealed against exit. Souls could come in but none could get out. I finally broke the seal and have been traveling the cosmos looking for the Shun Shun Rikka."

While Grimmjow had been watching Renji's fight with Ichigo a thought occurred to him that spread a wide feral grin across his face. He rose closer to them and uttered, "Santen Kesshun," encasing the fighters in his shield prison. He was about to change the game again.


	30. Chapter 30 - Light Drives out th

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in anyway but am inspired by the work created by Tite Kubo.**

Waking Up – Chapter 30 – "Light Drives out the Dark"

Ichigo's Hollow raised his eyebrows as the shield sphere enveloped him and his opponent but he continued his fight. Renji was not able to block him effectively anymore so he was enjoying the feeling of beating him to death, his hate for the man raging.

Orihime looked around and above her with tear filled eyes. There was so much destruction, so much anguish, and so much death! Her beloved was trapped within a prison that was the making of her own powers and there was nothing she could do to get him out. He was bloodied and breathing raggedly. She couldn't take it anymore.

"ICHIGO!" she screamed with everything she had and the Hollow actually turned his head to look at her. From within Ichigo's heart cracked: it was the first time she'd ever called him by his first name and it was to stop him from killing the man she loved.

Once she had his attention she said in a strained voice, "Please, please stop. Just take me and we'll go but I can't let you kill him. Please." The Hollow made a move to leave the shield but Grimmjow held it firmly in place.

Looking up at him the Hollow bellow, " **What the hell is this?!"**

Grimmjow smirked and moved himself to stand in front of the form stuck in the shield, "Did you honestly believe I wouldn't literally kill two birds with one stone? There is no way that I will let you survive this. You've played your role but you're still Kurosaki and I vowed to destroy him. I just let you think you were in some semblance of control."

The Hollow raged against the wall of the shield but it would not break. Renji was barely conscious looking out at the woman he loved and prayed with everything he had that she would make it out of here safely. He had no idea what to do. His despair was taking over as he thought about all who had died. Grimmjow had executed his plans with almost flawless precision and they'd succumbed to him.

Grimmjow turned his attention to Orihime and uttered, "Koten Zanshun." 

"NO!" screamed Ichigo, his Hollow and Renji as Tsubaki flew towards his former mistress.

Orihime could see him coming and prepared herself for death. She closed her eyes but instead of feeling the impact she was waiting for she heard his strained voice say rapidly, "Girlie, I don't have long to talk before I get my ass handed to me. Pay attention, I hope you get this: the pierced heart of the pure shall rectify the darkness to the light. Don't screw this up." Though his words were still rough he had never spoken so tenderly to her and she cried out as she heard him scream in pain before he flew back to the blade.

Grimmjow frowned, but he supposed the sprite's opposition to kill her would be stronger than any other being. Orihime thought over what he'd said when suddenly she understood what she needed to do. Understood it without fully knowing how she did. She steeled herself for what needed to be done next and prayed Kami she would strong enough to do it.

Lifting her chin and striking the most proud stance she could she fixed her eyes on Grimmjow before saying with all the loathing and scathe she could muster, "Funny Grimmjow, I never figured you one to let someone else do your dirty work. If you want to kill me why not just do it yourself?" She saw his eyes narrow in anger and the next moment he was right in front of her.

She could see Renji and Ichigo's forms banging on the wall of the prison, desperately trying to get out but knowing even if they did they would not reach her in time. Lucifer watched from the side, a cruel smile on his face. He was enjoying this. She braced herself as she looked into the azure eyes in front of her, "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Tch, why are you so eager to die princess?" 

"Why are you so hesitant to kill me?" she countered boldly.

That did it. She saw his eyes glaze over with unbridled fury at her accusation of any weakness in him. Without further hesitation he ran the Shun Shun Rikka blade straight through her chest, piercing her heart, causing blood to seep down her shirt.

"ORIHIME!" screamed Renji and Ichigo together in horror as they watched the woman they both loved dying before their eyes.

The next moment Grimmjow's grin of satisfaction changed to a look of utter confusion. The blade began to glow and burn hot. It burned so hot so fast he actually let go of it. Orihime's form rose before him and when her eyes opened they were no longer grey but were golden and glowing.

"Princess, what the hell?" he muttered looking at her.

"It is not princess, I am a goddess, the goddess of light," came a voice from Orihime's lips which was not her own. She had released the trapped spirit of the goddess and her power was surging through Orihime now, using her life source.

She turned her gaze to Lucifer, his eyes widened at this unexpected turn of events.

"Lucifer, your reign ends tonight. Your cause of imbalance in the world shall be met with absolute punishment. My mercy sealed your gates, my fury will spell your end," she said her voice even, calm and powerful.

Lucifer sped towards her, claws bared ready to rip her apart.

The prison around Renji and Ichigo's body flashed away and the next instance encased Lucifer in its sphere. He pounded against the walls in fury releasing a large about of his own reiatsu attempting to shatter it but meeting with severe resistance.

"Koten Zanshun," came next from her lips and Tsubaki flew violently into the demon's chest spurting blood out his back. The goddess slowly began to shrink the sphere as Lucifer screamed in fury. The prison pushed against his body, crushing his bones. She sent Tsubaki out again and again, both crushing and slicing him to bits. Despite his familiarity with war and death Renji winced at the brutality of this death. He knew this was not Orihime who was in control for she would never be able to cause this much pain before death to anyone, not even the King of Hell.

Lucifer's screams grew weaker until there was silence and his lifeless crushed form lay still in the sphere. She charged Tsubaki fully and then opening the sphere released his powerful blast obliterating the body to ashes.

Floating higher into the air and spreading out her arms she spoke in a voice that rang with the clarity of a deep bell, "Soten Kishun."

Glowing light shot out from her body in every direction, the beams growing wider as she rejected every damage, every wrong and every death that had happened in the horrific hours of the bloodiest battle seen by either living or dead. Bodies of fallen comrades rose, blinking in disbelief of having been revived before shooting their gazes up to watch Orihime. More and more power flowed through and out of her.

Renji had been healed almost instantaneously when one of the golden beams touched him. He grabbed Zabimaru and shunpo'd directly behind Grimmjow who was still too stunned to realize he was even behind him.

"This is for her you bastard," Renji growled lowly and stabbed the Arrancar through the chest from his back. Grimmjow uttered a cry of surprise and pain before landing on his knees. Renji had pulled the sword from him and he was already disintegrating into dust.

Suddenly he smiled, "Well Hell, here I come. Nice work princess, you were my most formidable opponent, who'd of thought?" Then he was gone. Renji was breathing hard, Ichigo's form next to him the Hollow still in control as they both turned their gaze upward to where Orihime was still healing, still correcting, still saving.

" _If you do not stop now, you will die,"_ a voice, not of her spirits, said and she could only assume it was the goddess.

"My life is not worth so many to be lost. I will gladly give all for them. Besides, death is but a doorway to another world," she responded with a smile, no fear in her voice.

" _You truly are the purest of heart,"_ replied the goddess and continued to use her power through Orihime's life source to reject and correct all the wrongs. They had moved from the world of the living to Soul Society and then back again. When all life had been restored and there was minimal devastation of their surroundings left she sank slowly to the ground. By now all her friends had gathered to watch her and were shocked to see the blade still in her heart. Once she'd landed she pulled it out and dropped it to the ground. The next moment she'd fallen forward only to be caught by Ichigo's form.

He held her and sank to the ground, her upper body cradled in his arms his yellow eyes looking into her golden ones. Soon the gold faded to grey and Orihime Inoue was back. She looked at the eyes of the man in front of her and choked out, "Not…not you…Ichigo….let me….talk to….Ichi….go."

Shocking everyone he complied without protest. The eyes snapped to amber and his face fell into pain, tears spilling out heedless of who saw them.

"Ori…hime," he gasped out and buried his face into her neck as he held her.

"Look…at…me," she said and his eyes met hers again, "Ichigo..I want you…to know..when I get…to Soul Society…I will protect…you…from them."

"Orihime…please stop talking and starting healing yourself, you've lost too much blood, please," Ichigo begged stroking her cheek, heedless of her lover standing behind him. He could care less; he wasn't letting her go even if it did make him a selfish bastard. Renji had already had so much more of her than he ever would and he was not giving her up to his arms.

"Ichigo….it's too late…for me…I used up….all my…..life….force to….to….return everyone. The good….of the many…..outweighs….the good of the one…" she said softly.

He cried out again, cursing and squeezing her tighter, "Please, Kami, no! No, you can't die, you just can't!"

"Ichigo…we know….this is not a permanent….goodbye…I'll be in Soul Society….I'll see you…again."

"But you won't be with me here, how can I go on without you?"

"The…same…way…you'd done….if I were to…live."

The words stung but he knew she was right. Her relationship with Renji was solid. There would have been no coming between them. And he wasn't sure if he'd have been able to stay to see them together.

"Hollow…"she sputtered and the spirit listened closely, "help him…if you…truly cared at all…for me…honor my request…and help him."

"Orihime, don't, you can heal yourself, don't talk about last requests," Ichigo said stubbornly but was shocked to his core when he heard the Hollow reply, " **Whatever you want queen…I…I'm sorry."**

Ichigo looked into her eyes and managed a small smile as he said, "He agreed and apologized. You're really something you know that? Now, use that power of yours and get to healing."

She smiled before turning her head to cough, blood landing on his uniform. She uttered her healing mantra but knew that it was fruitless. Ichigo watched as the familiar warm glow started but faded almost immediately. She really had nothing left to use for herself.

Turning her face back to him and wiping the blood from her lips he asked, "Orihime…may…I kiss you goodbye?"

The audience around them widened their eyes at this request and next tears flowed from them all as she uttered, "No."

"What? Why?" 

"Because….your…..first kiss….should not be….with anyone but the woman….meant for you…I am…not….she. Plus…this…isn't a permanent…goodbye" she said her eyes starting to glaze over.

He clutched her tighter but honored her denial. Renji was stoic behind him and Orhime raised her failing gaze to him, "I'll see you….on the….other side." He nodded and stood by to watch his love pass from her world to his.

With one last shuttering breath Orihime ran her hand down Ichigo's face and then she was gone. She didn't even need a konso because she was at peace, her work was done in this world and her afterlife would be with Renji.

Ichigo cried so hard he couldn't breathe and it was heart wrenching to watch as he clung to her now lifeless body. Renji stepped forward and placed a hand on his back as he said, "She died doing what she'd longed to do: saving and protecting those she loves."

Ichigo raised his head enough so he could be heard, "I think….I think a part of her wanted to die to be with you. Take care of her."

Though her light had shredded the darkness brought into the world by Grimmjow and Lucifer her leaving it brought darkness to Ichigo's heart.


	31. Epilogue

Waking Up – Epilogue – "Life in the Land of the Dead"

When Orihime Inoue had arrived in Soul Society she was met with resounding cheers of celebration and thanks. Though all knew she would be sorely missed in the world of the living they were so thankful for her sacrifice and knew she would be well in Soul Society.

Renji had raced back as fast as he could and broke through the crowd surrounding her. He didn't even pause as he rushed to her and threw his arms around her waist lifting her into the air before kissing her soundly. The crowds roar increased and many had tears in their eyes.

"I love you," he said against her lips before kissing her again, heedless of their audience.

"I love you too," she replied and squeezed him tighter.

****3 Months Later****

Orihime had decided something needed to be done about the structure of Soul Society. Upon her arrival she had worked to formulate a plan of how to try to make sure people were reunited with their loved ones. Once her outline was completed she was granted an audience with Yamamoto. He listened intently to her plans and was silent for some moments afterwards.

Finally he spoke, "Inoue Orihime, your ideas are of merit and though the work required to execute them will be extensive but I believe you are right in that they are worth the efforts. For so long we have turned a blind eye to the needs of the souls here and I believe it is time for change. Since this will require such a large amount of personnel I am going to request Central 46 permit the creation of a 14th division. As you have not yet reached bankai I cannot appoint you captain should they agree with my decision. However, I trust Abarai Renji would be a suitable installment to that position should he accept it?"

Orihime's eyes grew wide and she nodded vigorously, "Oh yes, head captain, thank you!"

"Good, then I will begin the approval process," he responded and bowed. She bowed in return before turning to exit.

Orihime walked as calmly as she could out of the meeting room but once the doors were shut she sprinted outside to where Renji had been waiting for her. She flung her arms around him in her exuberance and spluttered out what happened in the meeting. His eyes opened wide at her declaration that he was to be made captain of the newest division should Central 46 allow its creation.

"Would you do it? I mean, I know I have to go through the academy and take my test to be seated but I would be your first un-seated member and I have all the plans made and…" her rambling was cut off by a searing kiss.

"Hime, of course I'll take it and of course I will defer to you for every turn. Like Yamamoto said, I would pretty much just be a figure head until you were ready to take over."

"Oh no Renji! I would never take the position from you! You've earned it! I'm just thrilled he's even willing to even ask this! Plus, I know you understand where I'm coming from and you are such a great leader."

He chuckled at her earnest face and kissed her again, "Ok love, we'll just take it one day at a time."

***6 Months Later***

The Central 46 had voted yes to establishing a 14th division and Renji appointed its captain. There was a grand celebration for him at Shunsui's home. In the midst of congratulations and well wishes Renji stood upon the steps of the back porch and lifted his glass to get everyone's attention.

"Thank you all for your support, it means a great deal to me," he said, flushing a little in his position of the center of attention. Clearing his throat he motioned Orihime to join him. She blinked, a little stunned, but moved when Rukia pushed her back slightly. Standing next to him she was taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. He took a deep breath and turning set his glass down on a table behind him. When he'd turned again he stooped to one knee. There were gasps and some squeals of appreciation as Orihime's eyes grew large, tears threatening the edges of her rims.

"Orihime Inoue, I will never love anyone as much as I love you. I am so proud of you and all you've done both for our world and the world of the living. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She couldn't speak for a moment, her tears spilling out. But finally she squeaked out, "Yes Renji, yes, I'll marry you!" He grinned and put the ring on her finger before standing to embrace and kiss her. Cheers erupted around the happy couple and suddenly Orihime was being hugged and kissed by all their friends while Renji received pats on the back and handshakes from the men and kisses on his cheeks from the women.

***1 Year Later***

It was the day of Renji and Orihime's wedding and both were glad the day had finally come. Though they had been working every day together in the establishment of their new division the thought of being joined forever had both smiling from ear to ear.

Both had opted to wear traditional Japanese wedding kimonos. Orihime had sent word to Uryu asking if he would make hers and he had been honored to take up the task. Yamamoto had permitted Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad, and Ichigo to attend the wedding in Soul Society along with allowing them stay a week to be with their friends. Uryu had out done himself. The kimono was made of the purest white silk Orihime had ever seen and he'd embroidered an intricate floral pattern using blush pink thread for the petals and light green for the leaves.

Rangiku pinned her hair up into a loose twist before Tatsuki presented her with a gorgeous hair comb, white with emeralds fashioned into a flower shape matching her hairpins. The spirits had since taken residence in her zanpakuto, having requested and received permission from the goddess of light to stay with their shinigami mistress.

Ichigo stepped up to Renji while they were waiting for everyone to be seated and extended his hand to him. He shook it firmly and said, "Ichigo, thank you for being here, it means a lot to me and Orihime." He could see some strain in the substitute-shinigami's face as he forced a small smile.

"Of course, she's one of my best friends. Though I'd be lying if I said this wasn't still killing me a little I'm happy that she's happy."

He asked if it would be ok for him to see the bride before the ceremony and though Renji was loathe for any man to see her in her wedding attire before he did he knew their friend needed this and permitted it.

Ichigo tapped on the door of her dressing room and Tatuski opened it, her eyes a little wide at who she found in the entrance.

"Renji said it was ok if I see Inoue, can I have a moment alone with her?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "One second," she said and turned to Orihime, "Hey, Ichigo is here, he wants to talk to you, are you ok with that?"

Orihime nodded and Tatsuki opened the door wider to let him in before leaving the room and shutting the door. When his eyes fell on her he sucked in a breath. She looked absolutely stunning.

"Ishida really put everything he had into this, he worked on it every freaking night, but it was worth it. You look gorgeous Inoue," he said scratching the back of his neck. She blushed and replied, "Thank you Kurosaki-kun."

For weeks leading to this day he'd rehearsed what he wanted to say to her but now all the words failed him. She knew how he felt and though he was trying to move on from her almost two years had not been enough time. His chest constricted as he kept staring at the woman he loved dressed to walk down the aisle to be joined in marriage to another man.

"Kurosaki.."she began but he interrupted her, "Ichigo, call me Ichigo."

She smiled and began again, "Ichigo, I have a request but if it is too selfish or makes you uncomfortable please feel free to say no."

He raised his eyebrows a little and waited for her to continue.

Taking a deep breath she stepped up closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, looking into his eyes, "I was wondering if you would consent to walking me down the aisle?"

His eyes widened more and she continued hastily, "You see, I gave this a lot of thought and realized that you protected me and cared for me the same way Sora would have if he'd still been alive while I was growing up. I know that both our feelings have changed but I consider you my closest male friend and well, it just seems that place of honor belongs to you, if you want it."

He found he couldn't breathe very well as he considered her request. It was one thing to come and watch her marrying another man; it was a completely different thing to give her away to that man. So he surprised himself when he opened his mouth and the words that came out were, "I'd be honored…Orihime." Her eyes flashed brightly and a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Thank you Ichigo, thank you," she murmured as she hugged him. He closed his eyes and squeezed her tightly.

Rukia was acting as "best man" to Renji since she was his best friend walking with Uryu who stood on Orihime's side. Rangiku walked with Chad, she on Renji's side and he on Orihime's. Tatsuki was maid of honor walking alone.

When Ichigo and Orihime stepped out everyone stood up and there were almost no dry eyes watching the display before them. Renji's eyes had widened at the site and his shoulders tensed slightly but he relaxed when he saw the look of joy on Orihime's face as she locked eyes with him.

When they'd reached the alter, the priest asked, "Who gives this woman to be wed to this man?"

Orihime looked at Ichigo and he smiled giving her his best on her special day before saying, "Her friends," here he looked at the people before him, "and I do." Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek before leading her hand to Renji's and giving her to him. The two men exchanged a look of respect to each other before Ichigo stepped over to stand next to Tatsuki.

The ceremony was beautiful and the reception grand with much dancing, eating and drinking. After what seemed like forever and a blur of time at once the newly married couple found themselves at the door of Renji's quarters, Orihime having moved there the day before.

When he'd opened the door he picked her up making her giggle and walked her over threshold as he whispered in her ear, "Welcome home Mrs. Abarai." She kissed him deeply, inhaling his scent and sighing contentedly. He wasted no time and walked directly to their bedroom before depositing her on her feet.

Continuing to kiss her he untied the sash of her kimono and dropped it to the floor before undoing the buttons and pulling it open. Still kissing her he pushed the material off her shoulders and it pooled to the ground by her feet. Only then did he open his eyes and take in the form before him. She was wearing a white lace bra and panties set and took his breath away. He'd released her hair from the clips and ran his fingers through it.

Moving forward she undid his sash as well and pulled open his kimono, encircling his waist as she kissed him deeply. No matter how many times he'd made love to his woman the first touch of his skin to hers made him inhale sharply as heat coursed through him.

He reached around her and undid the clasp of her bra, pulling it away and flinging it across the room. Next her panties were gone and so were the rest of his under garments. He turned them and lay down taking her with him to the bed his strong hands splayed over her back kissing her neck. She returned the hungry kisses with those of her own, stoking the fire of his passion.

The made love over and over throughout the night, savoring each other as they took in the fact they would be waking up together forever.

The End

 **Author's Note: Whew! Well that's the conclusion of Waking Up! For my first fic I felt pretty good about it but I know there are many things I would do differently and will take the lessons to my next fics. I hope the ending was acceptable as there is a part of me which feels the pacing may be rushed but truthfully I wanted to be able to conclude this story and move on to the next. I hope it has been enjoyable to those who are Renji x Orihime fans and that you will check out my next works. Till the next time!**


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